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HAIFA

Israel

Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab

Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab HAIFA, Israel — On July 9, Baha'is around the world commemorate the date in 1850 that the Bab - one of two main figures in the founding of their Faith - was executed by a firing squad in Iran, then called Persia. The Bab, whose name means "gate" in Arabic, had declared in 1844 that He was a messenger of God sent to prepare the way for the long-awaited promised one of all religions who would come to establish an age of universal peace. In 1863 Baha'u'llah announced publicly that He was that promised one. The Bab attracted tens of thousands of followers, and the unease and commotion created by His message led the authorities to put him to death on a charge of heresy. He and a disciple who begged to share His martyrdom were executed by a firing squad of 750 soldiers in a public square in Tabriz. The remains of the Bab are now entombed in Haifa, Israel, in a beautiful shrine on Mount Carmel. How the Bab was brought to Haifa to His final resting place is in itself a special chapter in Baha'i history. Indeed, 'Abdu'l-Baha, the son of Baha'u'llah who was the head of the Baha'i Faith from 1892 to 1921, considered providing a fitting burial for the Bab to be one of the key duties and accomplishments of his ministry. Transferring the sacred remains of the Bab to Haifa and laying them in their permanent resting place was one of the chief accomplishments of 'Abdu'l-Baha, according to his own testimony.The remains of the Bab had been rescued by His followers from a ditch near the execution site and were carefully hidden in Iran for nearly half a century. In 1899, at the behest of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the remains were transported - under great threat from civil and religious authorities and others - by way of Isfahan, Kirmanshah, Baghdad and Damascus, to Beirut and then by sea to Acre north of Haifa where 'Abdu'l-Baha lived. 'Abdu'l-Baha hid the remains for another decade before presiding over an emotional ceremony on Mount Carmel where he himself placed the sacred trust at a specially prepared site that had been designated by Baha'u'llah for the final resting place of the Bab. Much later, an exquisite shrine with a golden dome was built over the tomb. This building has become one of the best known landmarks of northern Israel and is a place of pilgrimage for Baha'is from all over the world.

32.8191218

34.9983856

HOBART

TASMANIA

Australia

Tasmanian Baha'i Center gets dome

Tasmanian Baha'i Center gets dome HOBART, TASMANIA, Australia — A huge dome has been lifted into place atop the new Baha'i Center of Learning on the island of Tasmania, an Australian state that lies south of the mainland. Six years in the planning and three years in the building, the new center boasts a 300-seat auditorium and other facilities that will be used not only for core Baha'i activities but also by the wider community in Hobart, which is the state capital, and beyond. "The circular nature of the dome will represent the never-ending cone of learning," Ann Stark of the Baha'i Council of Tasmania said in comments published in a local newspaper. "The center's facilities will be made available to the people of Tasmania." Construction of the new Baha'i facility in Hobart incorporates principles of energy efficiency, water conservation, and use of nontoxic and recyclable materials.The dome was lifted by crane as a small crowd of Baha'is and others watched. The inspiration for the center came after the death in 2000 of Soheila Mirkazemi and her son Naveed in a car accident in Hobart. The Naveed Foundation was established and has been raising the funds for the center. Walter Jaros, another member of the Baha'i Council of Tasmania, said the goal is to open the new facility by the end of 2007. It includes a library; office space for the Baha'i regional council and for the board that will oversee the operation of the center; rooms for meetings and activities; and the large auditorium that will have stackable chairs for better flexibility in using the space, he said. The Web site for the center says it will be used for activities exploring how to use the "insights of religion, science and the arts for ... spiritual, intellectual and social development," with a goal toward building a peaceful and sustainable world community. In keeping with this vision, the facility was designed with an eye to achieving the highest possible standards of energy efficiency and water conservation. The principal architect was Stuart McKenzie Hall of Hobart. Tasmania has about 250 registered Baha'is, Mr. Jaros said. The population of the state is nearly 500,000.

-42.8825088

147.3281233

NEW YORK

United States

Iranian Baha'i students shut out of vocational education

Iranian Baha'i students shut out of vocational education NEW YORK, United States — Iranian Baha'is seeking to enter Iran's technical and vocational institutes have been effectively barred from admission for the coming academic year, since the application to sit for the entrance examinations leaves them with no option but to deny their faith, which Baha'is refuse to be coerced into doing. The Baha'i International Community learned recently that the 2007 form for the entrance examination for undergraduate courses under the technical and vocational education system indicates that only one box may be marked for religion. The applicant is given three choices - Zoroastrian, Jewish, or Christian - and if none of the boxes is marked, the form explains, the applicant will be considered Muslim. This is unacceptable to Baha'is. "Under this system, Baha'is cannot fill out the application without a de facto denial of their faith, which is against their religious principles," said Bani Dugal, the Baha'i International Community's principal representative to the United Nations. "Accordingly, Iranian Baha'is will not be able to take this entrance examination, and so they are effectively blocked this year from obtaining technical and vocational education in Iran. "Such a denial of access to education violates the internationally established right to education, to which the government of Iran has agreed, and reflects yet another facet of Iran's continuing persecution of the Baha'i community of Iran," said Ms. Dugal. The Baha'i International Community decries the government's actions not only against Baha'i students - who are deprived of higher education solely for their religious beliefs - but also against any other Iranian students who are being denied access to higher education on clearly insupportable grounds, such as for giving voice to beliefs or opinions that are not officially endorsed, Ms. Dugal said. Last autumn, after more than 25 years during which Iranian Baha'is were outright banned from attending public and private universities, several hundred Baha'i students were admitted to various educational institutions around the country. This came about after the government stated its position that the reference to religion on entrance examination papers to nonspecialized universities and colleges did not identify university applicants by their religion, but only gave the religious studies subject on which they had been examined. This clarification was accepted by the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith. The acceptance of Baha'i students at Iranian universities has, however, been short-lived, Ms. Dugal said. According to the latest figures from Iran, of the Baha'i students who took the national entrance examination last year, ultimately some 200 were admitted and enrolled. Over the course of the school year, however, over half that number - at most recent count, at least 128 - have been expelled as school officials discovered they were Baha'is. This has led observers to conclude that Iran's statements last year were nothing more than a ruse intended to quell international protest over the denial to Baha'i students of access to higher education. "This latest news about the registration form for technical and vocational education only serves to further confirm that Iran continues to play games with Baha'i students in their country, and that its promises of access to higher education for them are hollow," said Ms. Dugal. To read this news story in Persian, go to http://www.bahai.org/persian/persecution/newsreleases/31-07-07

40.7127281

-74.0060152

LOS ANGELES

United States

Hip-hop hits spiritual chords

Hip-hop hits spiritual chords LOS ANGELES, United States — Be cool. Be religious. Yes, you can watch MTV and still have morals. Some music professionals in Los Angeles - all of them Baha'is and all knee-deep or more in the entertainment industry - have come out with what one recording artist terms a "straight-up Baha'i album." The group calls itself the Dawnbreaker Collective, the album is named "Arise," and the music is, well, cool. Rap, rock, funk, R&B, spoken-word - all are represented. "Come talk with Me, speak heavenly, remember Me, O son of Spirit," sings Tara Ellis on one of the hip-hop tracks. She has recorded with rap star Eve and with Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas fame, and is unapologetic about her current contribution to a religious record. "This was an incredible project to part of," she says. "It's different to the stuff that most of us do because this is a straight-up Baha'i album. It's us being Baha'is and doing what we love. ... "It's the sound of our times but in a good way." Andy Grammer is one of 17 artists who performs on "Arise" by the Dawnbreaker Collective.Benny Cassette - he's a hip-hopper and producer who has worked with Mos Def, Willie Nelson, Eve, and Akon, and is slated to release a solo album on Universal Records - says the idea is to talk religion with young people in a language they understand. He and the other artists - 17 of them altogether - wanted to "create something that Baha'i kids can listen to as easily as they listen to some of the other popular music out there." "You know," he says, "they look up to the people they see on MTV and things. So what we are trying to do with this album is show them that there are people who work with the MTVs of the world but still hold to our values - which they can do, too." Hundreds of Web messages from the U.S. and around the world suggest that Benny and company are on the right track. "I just discovered your music," writes a woman named Sandra from Cameroon. "Really, I didn't imagine rap could be so inspiring." From Dorina in Germany: "I like this special new style of performing Baha'i themes. Do you know what important work you are doing?" Part of the album's new style is the way sacred scripture is used. "This album has introduced the world to a different way of treating the (Baha'i) writings," says Vahid Brooks, one the featured artists. "We are not being disrespectful or anything. All we are doing is using the writings in a language that makes sense to us and the people we live with." Benny Cassette says that although the album is inspired by the Baha'i Faith, "we are trying to make music for the world. ... Ultimately we want to create a doorway for people to access the Faith." The songs on "Arise" are not really scripture set to music, explains Jamie Lewis, manager of the Dawnbreaker Collective. "It's more a vibe or a feeling," he says. "The album was created by the artists praying and deepening together and then going off and writing the songs." Love for their religion is what led the artists to make the album, adds Benny. "I can remember thinking to myself that I will not be happy having any song on this album that I couldn't see myself sitting down and listening to with 'Abdu'l-Baha," he says. 'Abdu'l-Baha was the son of the founder of the Baha'i Faith, and Baha'is look to him as the best example of how to live. "The arts are extremely powerful," says Michael Mathenge, a member of the Dawnbreaker Collective who goes by the name Mathai. "They can inspire, and they can motivate anyone if they are used in the right way. This is what we are trying to do." The artists who created "Arise" - in addition to Benny Cassette, Tara Ellis, Vahid Brooks, and Mathai ("Solomon Coal") - include Andy Grammer, Robert "Iodine" Sinclair, Jamal "J-Bird" DeGruy, Ruth Foreman, Rey "Rey Loo" Luna, and Jason "Matu" Greene. Also contributing were Jamey Heath, Deep Red, Rance, Dorothy Dixon, Devon Gundry, Fondi Dixon, and John Barnes the Third. Oscar DeGruy makes a guest appearance, and Allison Anastasio designed the album cover. The album can be purchased online at http://www.dawnbreakercollective.com/ and through iTunes, and it is increasingly available internationally at outlets where Baha'i books and materials are sold.

34.0536909

-118.242766

Cape Town

South Africa

South African film shows faith in action

South African film shows faith in action CAPETOWN, South Africa — Two professional filmmakers have finished an hourlong documentary about three Baha'is and how they practice their faith, and the film is being aired on television in South Africa and neighboring countries. "Baha'i Faith: A Way Forward" was produced by Ryan and Leyla Haidarian at the request of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, which has licensed rights to the documentary for two years. "We created this film to show what the Baha'i Faith has to offer on a practical level for the world," Mrs. Haidarian said. The film gives an introduction to the Baha'i Faith and focuses on three individuals in South Africa and how their faith is reflected in service to others: Leyla and Ryan Haidarian made the documentary for the South African Broadcasting Corporation.-- Eunice Mabaso turned her home into an orphanage after her brother and his wife died and she took in their four children. Over the years, hundreds of other orphans - many of them living in poverty in the streets - came to her home for shelter, love, and protection. "We can change the poverty and crime of this earth," she says. "The future of South Africa will become brighter." -- Iraj Abedian, an economist and policy adviser to the government, tries to address problems resulting from extremes of wealth and poverty. One of his projects is a collective home-financing program that helps low-income working people save money and invest, but he is careful to emphasize that his work is based on principles from what he believes is a divine plan. He says you can look at the world as a construction site, "full of dust and mud and rubbish, and yet see in it the (new) edifice that is rising. ... To be at work on the construction site - it's exciting." -- Tahirih Matthee helps provide training programs for people with no experience using computers and the Internet. Her course includes education about gender equality - she points out that equality of women and men is an explicit teaching of the Baha'i Faith - and also information about HIV/AIDS prevention. "For something to be successful, you need vision," she says. "Every person can be happy when things are ideal, but our true nobility lies in the journey of being happy precisely when things are not ideal." The new film includes historical photos of the Baha'i community of South Africa, including its founding during the time of apartheid. "In those days, the Baha'is stuck to the letter of the law, but they didn't really stick to the spirit of the law," says the film. A fundamental principle of the Baha'i Faith is the unity of the races and the elimination of prejudice. Great precaution was taken for the first election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South Africa. It was held in a farmhouse, and whites entered through the front door, black Africans through the back door. "If the security police approached, the African Baha'is began cleaning and cooking. The white Baha'is played cards and socialized," the narrator relates. The Haidarians produced and financed the documentary through their company, Race Productions, in South Africa. The film can be seen on the Web at www.doubletake.tv/cms/way-forward-english. The Web site also gives information for ordering a DVD. Ryan Haidarian heads up development and production at the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, the organization that produced the Academy Award-winning film "Tsotsi." A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in the United States, Mr. Haidarian won several awards for a documentary about famed American football coach Darrell Royal. Leyla Haidarian has worked as a journalist, actress, and filmmaker in Europe, North America and Africa, and can currently be seen playing a supporting role in a South African drama series.

-33.8161247

18.6945549

NEW YORK

United States

Confidential Iran memo exposes policy to deny Baha'i students university education

Confidential Iran memo exposes policy to deny Baha'i students university education NEW YORK, United States — The Baha'i International Community has received a copy of a confidential 2006 letter from Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology instructing Iranian universities to expel any student who is discovered to be a Baha'i. The letter refutes recent statements by Iranian officials, who say Baha'i students in Iran face no discrimination - despite the fact that more than half of the Baha'i university students enrolled last autumn were gradually expelled over the course of the 2006-2007 academic year. "This latest document, which flatly states that Baha'i students should be expelled from universities once they are discovered, proves unequivocally that Iranian authorities remain intent on utterly blocking the development of Iranian Baha'is, despite what they say to the outside world," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "Along with other recently received reports and documents, the letter exposes a duplicitous campaign by Iran to pretend that it does not violate the internationally recognized right to education while, in fact, the government is actually continuing to implement its secret, long-term plan to prevent Baha'i students from obtaining a university education. "Coupled with ongoing reports of physical and economic harassment directed against Baha'is of all ages and in all regions of the country, this latest development should serve to remind those who care about human rights that Iran's 300,000-member Baha'i community remains gravely threatened," she said. "Not only Baha'is, but also others - students expelled under directives that target them on absolutely baseless grounds; women whose human rights are grossly violated through the enactment or perpetuation of discriminatory laws; and other victims of injustice in that land - need international defense," she added. The 2006 letter is from the Central Security Office of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) and was issued by its director general, Asghar Zarei, to 81 universities around the country. Stamped "confidential," the exact date of the letter is undecipherable, although its contents are legible. (Document 1 in the list of original documents.) "(I)f the identity of Baha'i individuals becomes known at the time of enrollment or during the course of their studies, they must be expelled from university," states the letter, which was signed by Mr. Zarei. The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology oversees all state-run universities. The directive flatly contradicts public and private statements of Iranian government officials over the last several years. They have sought to portray their educational system as open to Baha'is and free of discriminatory practices. In early March, for example, newspapers carried a story by the Reuters news agency reporting that some 70 Baha'i students had been expelled from universities in Iran since autumn 2006. In the Reuters story, however, an anonymous spokesperson for the Iranian Mission to the United Nations was quoted as saying in reply: "No one in Iran because of their religion has been expelled from studying." The number of 70 students expelled as of March 2007 as reported by Reuters has since risen to more than 128, out of approximately 200 who were enrolled last autumn after more than 25 years during which Baha'i students were banned from universities in Iran. Last year, as well, deceitful statements by Iranian officials came to light when Clare Short, a member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, received a communication from Hamid Reza Arefi, the charge d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in London, who likewise denied that Baha'is are discriminated against in their access to higher education in Iran. "Although Bahaism (sic) is not recognized as an official religion but by law Baha'is are entitled to equal rights," wrote Mr. Arefi in an 8 June 2006 letter to Ms. Short, adding: "In Iran, no individual is excluded from higher education solely because of his/her ideology." Similar statements have been made by Iranian diplomats and officials in other venues. The 2006 letter from the MSRT's Central Security Office also makes a clear reference to the secret 1991 Golpaygani memorandum about Baha'is, which was released to the public in 1993 by a United Nations official. (Document 5.) Despite Mr. Arefi's assurances that Iranian Baha'is are legally entitled to equal rights, other voices state that the Golpaygani memorandum takes precedence. That 1991 memorandum outlined a comprehensive plan to "block" the development and progress of the Iranian Baha'i community. The 1991 memorandum states for example that Baha'is shall be denied "any position of influence" and that "employment shall be refused to persons identifying themselves as Baha'is." The 1991 memorandum states clearly that Baha'is "must be expelled from universities, either in the admission process or during the course of their studies, once it becomes known that they are Baha'is." Signed by Hujjatu'l Islam Seyyed Mohammad Golpaygani, secretary of the Iran Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council, the 1991 memorandum was approved by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As such, it reflects the highest policy of the government. A number of fair-minded Iranian individuals have offered sympathy and a measure of support for the plight of the Baha'is; however, they are largely powerless in the face of the official policy of the government to oppress the Baha'is, Ms. Dugal said. "The Baha'i International Community asserts that unless and until the Iranian government revokes this pernicious document, there is little hope of any justice for the Baha'is of Iran," she said. The Baha'i International Community has also recently received several other documents and letters that clearly indicate the policy outlined in the 2006 letter is being actively implemented. These documents include: -- A second, follow-up letter from the MSRT's Central Security Office to officials at Payame Noor University, dated 17 March 2007, which instructs them to "prevent the enrollment of the Baha'i applicants." (Document 2.) -- An 18 May 2007 letter from the academic counseling and higher education office at Guilan University to the director of university academic affairs, asking for the immediate discharge of a Baha'i student. (Document 4.) -- A 27 May 2007 letter, also from the academic counseling and higher education office at Guilan University, to the above-mentioned Baha'i student, notifying the student that she has been "disqualified" from studying at Guilan, as required by the 1991 Golpaygani memorandum. (Document 3.)

40.7127281

-74.0060152

MISSISSAUGA

ONTARIO

Canada

Rebirth can follow breakdown, says best-selling author

Rebirth can follow breakdown, says best-selling author MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, Canada — Thomas Homer-Dixon, author of the Canadian best seller "The Upside of Down," says he has spent a lot of time working out a diagnosis of what is wrong in the world today. His conclusion, he says, is scary. "We are in real trouble," he said in a talk at the 31st annual conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies in North America, held in mid-August near Toronto. More than 1,200 people from 16 countries attended the four-day conference. He said five enormous pressures - demographic change, energy scarcity, environmental damage, climate change, and the widening gap between rich and poor - are bearing down on humanity. These problems are magnified by the interconnectedness of people today and the increased capacity for destruction, he said. People want to turn for leadership to supposed experts - in finance, in science - thinking that someone at the top should know the answers, he said. "But something tells us that the experts really don't know what is going on," said Professor Homer-Dixon, who is the director of the Trudeau Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto. Although not a member of the Baha'i Faith, Professor Homer-Dixon said he agrees with Baha'is that individuals must become knowledgeable about problems and solutions rather than waiting for leaders to provide top-down strategies. "It is time for us to stop expecting others to take care of us - those knights on white horses," he said. "As power has moved down the hierarchy, responsibility has moved down that social hierarchy, too." Knowledge is key, he told his audience, many of whom were academics, scholars, or highly trained professionals. Surveys have shown, he said, that a significant number of Americans of college age do not know that the earth revolves around the sun in one year. "How can you have a conversation about climate change if you are talking to someone who does not know this?" he said. Although Professor Homer-Dixon gives a pessimistic assessment of the crises in the world, he looks for hope in what he dubs "catagenesis" - rebirth through breakdown. "This is the opportunity for you Baha'is," he said, proceeding to quote from the writings of Baha'u'llah on the subject of knowledge and hope: "Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words. ..." (Sandra Bean contributed to this article.) (For reports from the Canadian Baha'i News Service on the recent conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies, go on the Web to www.bahainews.ca. For information about the association itself, go to www.bahai-studies.ca.)

43.5896231

-79.6443879

HAIFA

Israel

Universal House of Justice addresses Iranian Baha'i students

Universal House of Justice addresses Iranian Baha'i students HAIFA, Israel — In the wake of new evidence that Iran has lied about its intention to allow Baha'i students into universities, the Universal House of Justice has sent a letter to Iranian Baha'i youth encouraging them to respond with composure, perseverance, and a redoubled commitment to work towards the common good in Iran. "With an illumined conscience, with a world-embracing vision, with no partisan political agenda, and with due regard for law and order, strive for the regeneration of your country. By your deeds and services, attract the hearts of those around you, even win the esteem of your avowed enemies," wrote the Baha'i international governing council in a letter dated 9 September 2007. The letter comes after disclosures that indisputably reveal the double game being played by the Iranian government in the execution of its long-term plan to block the development of the Iranian Baha'i community. A major element of that plan has been to prevent Baha'i youth from obtaining higher education. More than half of the Baha'i students in university last year have been expelled for no reason other than their religion. Recently, the Baha'i International Community disclosed the existence of a confidential government memorandum instructing Iranian universities to expel any student who is discovered to be a Baha'i, refuting statements by Iranian officials who say Baha'i students face no discrimination. So far this year, more than 800 of the 1,050 Baha'is who sat for entrance examinations have not received their test results, allegedly because their files are "incomplete," even though Baha'is made every effort to comply with the application process. No explanation has been given to them as to how their applications were incomplete. Without the test results, the students have been unable to apply to university for the coming academic year. "These official acts are disappointing and shameful," wrote the Universal House of Justice. "This action of the government in obstructing youth, Baha'i or otherwise, from access to higher education stands in contrast to the noble history of Iran's past attainments." The letter recounts the long history of official government efforts to deprive Baha'is of access to higher education, noting that Baha'i students were initially banned from universities in Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution. "Then, consequent to a concerted worldwide effort - involving governments, educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals - that raised questions about this situation, your government's representatives responded by averring that the reference to religion on the forms was not to identify university applicants by belief but only to specify the religion on which they wished to be examined." Accordingly, "as a gesture of good will and so as to find a solution to an issue that adversely affects the good name of Iran, the Baha'i community accepted this apparent clarification. At long last, you were able to feel hopeful that the way would now be clear for you to continue your education," wrote the Universal House of Justice. Recent events, however, "call to mind heart-rending episodes in the history of the Faith, of cruel deceptions wrought against your forebears," the letter continued. "It is only appropriate that you strive to transcend the opposition against you with that same constructive resilience that characterized their response to the duplicity of their detractors." In that regard, the Universal House of Justice urged Iranian Baha'i youth to avoid any impulse to "rise against their oppressors," "flee for refuge," or "capitulate to their fate." Rather, the Universal House of Justice wrote: "Service to others is the way. ... Strive to work hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder, with your fellow citizens in your efforts to promote the common good." Letter of the Universal House of Justice in English. Letter of the Universal House of Justice in Persian Timeline of events in the Iranian government's effort to deny Baha'i youth access to higher education

32.8191218

34.9983856

NEW YORK

United States

Iranian government campaign against Baha'is shows new facets

Iranian government campaign against Baha'is shows new facets NEW YORK, United States — The bulldozing of a Baha'i cemetery in Iran last week is the latest in a series of incidents in a government-led campaign of hatred against Baha'is. The destruction of the cemetery by individuals using heavy equipment occurred between 9 September and 10 September near Najafabad, on the outskirts of Isfahan. What happened there is nearly identical to what happened in July in Yazd, where another Baha'i cemetery was extensively damaged by earth-moving equipment. The list of anti-Baha'i incidents is growing, as are human rights violations against other groups in Iran. In Najafabad, a few days before the destruction of more than 100 Baha'i graves, threatening letters were delivered to some 30 Baha'i families. In May, in Mazandaran province, the unoccupied homes of six Iranian Baha'is were set on fire. In June, in Abadeh, vandals wrote hateful graffiti on Baha'i houses and shops. Since May, Baha'is in at least 17 towns have been detained for interrogation. Six new arrests have been reported. In Kermanshah, a 70-year-old man was sentenced to 70 lashes and a year in prison for "propagating and spreading Bahaism and the defamation of the pure Imams." In Mazandaran, a court has once again ruled against three women and a man who are charged with "propagation on behalf of an organization which is anti-Islamic." All these events are results of the Iranian government's long campaign to incite hatred against Baha'is, a spokeswoman for the Baha'i International Community said today. "This should be a cause for concern among human rights activists everywhere," said Diane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva. She appealed to the world to hold the Iranian government accountable for its actions and to help prevent the situation from deteriorating into further violence. Baha'is in Iran number about 300,000 and represent the largest religious minority in the country. "Hezbollah is awake and despises the Baha'is" reads this piece of graffiti on a building in the city of Abadeh. Dozens of hateful anti-Baha'i slogans have been painted on homes, offices and cemetery buildings in various locations in Iran."Put in a historical context, these kinds of attacks too often have been a prelude to campaigns of oppression and violence that are far worse. "While some of these incidents may seem to be minor, the fact that such events are increasingly commonplace and reported as occurring in virtually every region of Iran shows that the persecution of Baha'is remains official government policy, and therefore is something for which Iran must be held accountable," she said. "The graffiti in Abadeh included slogans such as 'Death to Baha'is, the mercenaries of America and England,' 'Hezbollah despises the Baha'is,' 'Baha'is - mercenaries of Israel' and 'Baha'is are unclean' - phrases that relate directly to government propaganda that has been disseminated in Iranian news media in recent years," Ms. Ala'i said. She noted that other groups in Iran are also suffering human-rights violations. "In recent months, the Iranian authorities have been carrying out a widespread crackdown on civil society, targeting academics, women's rights activists, students, and journalists," said Ms. Ala'i. Among the anti-Baha'i incidents reported in recent months are the following: -- On 19 June 2007, a report was received that a 70-year-old man of limited means had been arrested in April 2007 in Kermanshah. Authorities charged him with the possession of three Baha'i CDs. He was tried on 23 April 2007 and charged with "propagating and spreading Bahaism and the defamation of the pure Imams." His lawyer was given only 10 minutes to prepare a defense. Although the verdict has not been published, the judge orally sentenced him to one year in prison, which he is currently serving, and 70 lashes. The latter part of the sentence has not yet been carried out. -- On 18 June 2007, a 34-year-old man was arrested at a hardware store in Tabriz where he worked and taken to an unknown location. Two days later, he succeeded in phoning his family to let them know he was alive. A police security agent contacted Baha'is in Tabriz and said some of the man's neighbors who are members of the Basiji morality squads had alleged that he had insulted Islam. His family managed to visit him and reported that he had been subjected to a two-day interrogation. He remains in custody. -- On 28 May 2007, a husband and wife in Abadeh, near Shiraz, were arrested in their home by agents of the Information Ministry. The agents seized books, family videos, photographs, CDs, telephone directories, documents, a cellular phone, a computer, and minutes of the meetings of the small group of Baha'is that coordinates the affairs of the local community on an ad hoc basis. The couple were interrogated about the activities of the Baha'is. The wife was released after eight hours; the husband was transferred to Shiraz, where he was held in prison until 29 June 2007 and released on bail. He is charged with teaching the Baha'i Faith. -- On 8 May 2007, the provincial court of appeal of Mazandaran denied the appeal of three women and one man who were arrested in 2005 in Ghaem Shahr and charged with "propagation on behalf of an organization which is anti-Islamic." The case has been referred to the Supreme Court. All are out on bail. (Original court document in Persian; English translation.) -- On 25 April 2007, the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Sari sentenced a Baha'i to a year in prison and four years of exile to the town of Bijar. The individual was charged with "teaching activities against the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the benefit of groups and various organizations opposing the system." -- During April and May 2007, a number of Baha'is were summoned for interrogation or were questioned by telephone by officials of the Ministry of Information or the police in various localities, including in Babolsar, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Torkman, Bojourd, Gilavand, Damavand, Hamedan, Karaj, Lahijan, Shahinshar, Tehran, and Yaftabad. The questioning focused on seeking information about Baha'i activities and about the Baha'is themselves. A report has been received that a bank in central Jiruft in the province of Fars had been ordered to produce a printout of all accounts held by Baha'is. -- The Baha'i International Community received a copy of a letter from the government agency responsible for providing veteran's benefits stating that an individual Baha'i, who suffered extensive disability following his incarceration as a prisoner of war in the Iran-Iraq conflict, was not eligible to pension benefits because he belongs "to the Bahaist sect." (Original government letter in Persian; English translation.) -- Attacks on the Baha'i Faith continue in the mass media, including on the Internet. Newspapers in Khorasan and Mazandaran have recently published items maligning Baha'is, while anti-Baha'i pamphlets and tracts have been distributed in Shiraz and in the schools in Shahinshar, Ahvazk, and Babol Sar. -- Reports have been received of banks refusing to grant loans and officials refusing to issue or renew business licenses solely on the grounds that the applicants were Baha'is. In Sanandaj, a bank official stated that the bank had received 14 loan applications from Baha'is, all of which will be rejected. Bank staff in Sari informed Baha'is who had applied for a loan, "It has been asked of us not to provide loans and other services to Baha'is." -- In Hamadan, the owner of a grocery store that had been operated by his family for 48 years tried to have the business license transferred to his name after the death of his father. He was told by a government official that business licenses for grocery stores would not be issued to Baha'is. He was told: "Wherever you go, even to the United Nations, you will end up here, where you will get the same clear answer."

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HAIFA

Israel

Baha'i world loses most distinguished member

Baha'i world loses most distinguished member HAIFA, Israel — The worldwide Baha'i community has lost its most distinguished member with the death of Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa. He passed away on the evening of 22 September 2007 at his home in Haifa. In 1955, Dr. Varqa was appointed to the high rank of "Hand of the Cause" by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. Dr. Varqa served in that capacity, on the international level, for 52 years until his passing. He was the last survivor of the 27 Hands of the Cause who were alive when Shoghi Effendi passed away in 1957. Dr. Varqa came from a well-known Iranian family that has served the Baha'i Faith with distinction for generations. After obtaining a doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1950, he taught in Iran at the universities of Tabriz and Tehran and served the Baha'i community there in various administrative capacities. In 1979 he moved to Canada, and later established his residence in Haifa to serve at the Baha'i World Center. He was born in 1911 in Tehran, Iran, and received his name from 'Abdu'l-Baha in memory of his grandfather, who had been killed for being a follower of Baha'u'llah. Dr. Varqa traveled to many countries as a representative first of Shoghi Effendi, then of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing council of the Baha'i Faith. In that capacity, Dr. Varqa attended the first national conventions held in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Congo, Mauritania, Central African Republic, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Czechoslovakia and Greenland. Dr. Varqa is survived by three daughters and six siblings. His funeral took place the morning of 24 September, with burial in the Baha'i cemetery in Haifa. Dr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa served the Baha'i Faith as a Hand of the Cause for 52 years.

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UNITED NATIONS

United States

Baha'i testifies at U.N. about understanding among religions

Baha'i testifies at U.N. about understanding among religions UNITED NATIONS, United States — A Baha'i from Tanzania - where different religious communities live peacefully together - testified yesterday before the United Nations General Assembly on how to promote religious understanding. Addressing an informal hearing on "Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace," Mitra Deliri said that in her country, "large Christian and Muslim populations live side by side, intermarry and celebrate each other's religious festivals." "It is a living example of religious pluralism," she said. "This coexistence did not come about by accident but rather as a result of the vision and deliberate action of Tanzanian leaders, dating back to the country's first president...," she said. Ms. Deliri, who represented the Baha'i International Community at the two-day hearing, also said it was important for governments to create a climate where freedom of religion or belief is clearly upheld in law and in practice. "Such a climate must be free from incitements to violence or hostility in the name of religion," she said. "Where contentious opinions about religions are expressed, it is the responsibility of the state to provide for right of reply. "As a minimum standard, both sides must be afforded the right to respond in a peaceful and legal manner so as to allow the public to arrive at their own conclusion. It is in this climate that understanding and cooperation can take root," she said. She recommended a number of strategies for promoting interreligious and intercultural understanding. They included establishing a universal, mandatory educational policy and curriculum on religion and education and using the news media to promote respect, prevent conflict and achieve increased social cohesion. Ms. Deliri was among approximately two dozen representatives of nongovernmental and religious organizations from around the world who addressed the General Assembly yesterday. Other speakers, for example, included Paul Knitter of the Union Theological Seminary in the USA, Gamal I. Serour of the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research at the Al Azhar Centre in Egypt, Sohan Lal Gandhi of the Anuvrat Global Organization in India, Fatima Ahmed of Zenab for Women in Development in Sudan, and Steven Rockefeller of Earth Charter International in the United States. The hearing on interreligious and intercultural understanding was scheduled to continue today with a high-level dialogue among governments. The Baha'i Faith, with its belief in the oneness of humanity and the oneness of religion, has long promoted religious harmony and supported interfaith dialogue and activity.

GENEVA

Switzerland

New Baha'i representative to open office in Brussels

New Baha'i representative to open office in Brussels GENEVA, Switzerland — Sarah Vader has joined the Baha'i International Community as a representative to the United Nations. In addition to working at U.N. offices in Geneva, Ms. Vader will establish an office in Brussels aimed at strengthening the BIC's ties with the European Union. In that role, Ms. Vader will work closely with national-level Baha'i affiliates in the 27 countries that are members of the EU. "With the integration of Europe moving forward at a fast pace, the Baha'i International Community decided it was time to open an office closer to the institutions of the European Union," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "In this endeavor, we are pleased to have on board Ms. Vader, who brings a high degree of expertise in dealing at the international level with businesses, civil society, and governments, as well as a comprehensive understanding of European culture and institutions." In her work in Geneva, Ms. Vader's portfolio of issues will include human rights and the advancement of women. In Brussels, her portfolio will include all areas of concern to the Baha'i International Community and its affiliates in Europe. Before assuming this position, Ms. Vader was associate director for the Open Forum and Special Projects at the World Economic Forum, where she had worked since 2000. In that role, she managed the Open Forum, a series of sessions held outside the congress center during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. It brought together global business leaders and representatives of civil society to discuss globalization, poverty, and other international issues. Her work included developing the global governance portfolio for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in 2004 and 2005 and managing civil society input to the Forum before that. A native of Switzerland, Ms. Vader, 31, has a degree in international law from the University of Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne. As part of her education, she did internships at the International Committee of the Red Cross and at the Paris branch of the BIC's Office of Public Information. She has served on the national governing body of the Baha'is of Switzerland since April 2002. She is fluent in English and French and conversant in German, Italian, and Persian. "I am pleased with this change in my professional path, and look forward to taking on the challenges of working for the Baha'i International Community, a nongovernmental organization that is active across such a wide range of issues at the United Nations and in other international organizations," said Ms. Vader. "Through my work at the World Economic Forum, I saw the importance of bringing together governments, businesses, and civil society in a multi-stakeholder approach, so it will be of great interest to apply this experience here. "I look forward, also, to working closely with the 27 national affiliates of the Baha'i International Community in Europe as we seek to bring our concerns to the attention of the European Union," she said.

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HAIFA

Israel

Baha'is celebrate Birth of the Bab

Baha'is celebrate Birth of the Bab HAIFA, Israel — On 20 October, Baha'is of the world celebrate the Birth of the Bab, the first of the two divine teachers central to the founding of the Baha'i Faith. "Bab," which means "gate" in Arabic, is the title assumed by Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, born on 20 October 1819 in Shiraz, Iran, then called Persia. In 1844, He proclaimed that He was a messenger of God sent to announce the imminent coming of an even greater prophet who would bring teachings for an age of universal peace. Nineteen years later, one of the Bab's followers, who took the title Baha'u'llah, announced that He was that new prophet. The Bab, whose teachings attracted tens of thousands of followers, was executed in 1850 in the public square in Tabriz, Iran, on the order of the government. Much later, His remains were entombed on Mount Carmel in Haifa, and His shrine is now a place of pilgrimage for followers of the Baha'i Faith.

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SINAZONGWE DISTRICT

Zambia

Young Zambian teens pull together in service program

Young Zambian teens pull together in service program SINAZONGWE DISTRICT, Zambia — The Tonga tribe has lived in southern Zambia for hundreds of years, and members are proud of their longstanding traditions and strong social codes. But leaders say some of the customs are eroding - young people, for example, no longer seem to respect the elderly. A new program involving hundreds of young teens working in small groups may help change that - and simultaneously help the youngsters get along better with each other. "The groups have started with helping old people in the community," said Siankuku Sabantu, a local fisherman. "This is something that sometime back was normal but in recent years has stopped. Now the youth have again started helping old people by drawing water for them, gathering firewood and cleaning their homes," he said. The groups are part of what is known in the Baha'i Faith as the Junior Youth Program, a worldwide effort to help young people aged 12 to 15 - "junior youth" - make good moral choices in their daily lives. Thirty-eight groups have formed in the Sinazongwe District, and they had their official launch earlier this month. They join another 130 groups in other parts of Zambia that comprise as many as 2,000 participants across the nation. Some are members of the Baha'i Faith, but as many as three-fourths are not. Chief Sinazongwe, a Tonga tribal leader and also a Baha'i, believes the program - where youth offer service to others as well as studying a text - helps give the young teens a "sense of nobility." "The youth are better behaved," he said, "and a lot of people are noticing it." "This program," he continued, "is helping them to see what values are important. They are finding a sense of self worth, and realizing that they are important." Chuungu Malitonga, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Zambia, has been monitoring the development of the Junior Youth Program for the last two years. What's happening in Sinazongwe is not unusual, he said. "From the beginning the program asks the junior youth to look at themselves in the context of their societies," he said. "It encourages them to take ownership for the conditions of those societies.... It doesn't take too long for the program to produce the type of results we are seeing in Sinazongwe." African drums added to the festivities at the launch of the Junior Youth Program in the Sinazongwe District of Zambia.In Zambia, the youth groups meet at least once a week, often on the weekend. "The two major activities at the moment are study of a text and a service project," said Mr. Malitonga. "They have also undertaken some outings but this is not a strong component yet." The groups - most have about a dozen members - usually meet in their village, under a tree or in a small hut, for study sessions of two hours or so, using a text specifically developed for the program. The first book they use tells the story of a young girl and her older cousin who comes to visit for the school holidays. Together the girls discuss their hopes and possibilities for the future. The story is designed to help youngsters develop moral foundations to guide their decisions and direct their actions. For the service component, some of the activities are planned and some are spontaneous. "Recently there was a funeral in the village and the members of the group gathered all the firewood and drew all the water for the bereaved family," said Mr. Sabantu. "Another good service they are offering is to maintain a clean environment around the borehole which is the only source of water in the village." In some villages, the youngsters go to rural hospitals, visit patients and help clean. The entire Sinazongwe District is rural, with most villagers making a living by fishing - the area abuts Lake Kariba, the largest manmade lake in Africa - as well as farming and herding. Olivia Hamoonga, 15, a Christian, is one of the participants in the Junior Youth Program in the Sinazongwe District. "I feel that my reading and comprehension skills have improved since I joined the group," she said. "Also, in our group, we pay a lot of attention to respecting yourself and respecting adults, and to offering service to society." Each group is helped by a trained animator, or facilitator, many of whom are themselves young, only a few years older than the members. In their training, animators learn techniques to help the young teens develop their spiritual and intellectual capacities and prepare them to perform acts of service in their communities. Tobias Siavwapa, 21, a goat trader in the Sinazongwe District, is one of the animators. A Christian, he said he joined the program because he sees the world changing rapidly and worries about the youth. "I see many youth doing things that are not beneficial to them such as smoking and drinking. I heard about the junior youth idea, and I knew that it is at this age that a difference can be made," he said. "Being part of the group helps the youth learn to do things that are good for their lives and learn to serve the community. I see this when they help people, fetching water and wood for old people." In only a few months, he said, he has seen some of the youngsters change. "At first some of the youth were very naughty and a little disruptive. Others had serious reading and writing difficulties," he said. "But even after a month of work, I can see behavior improving and their reading and writing becoming better." Chief Sinazongwe says the program helps the young people develop a sense of responsibility. "This is their land, their country, their environment," he said. "They are now learning to take care of these things. They are the future leaders. If they do not learn to do these things, who will do them when we are gone?" Mr. Malitonga says one reason the program is successful is that the groups promote interaction between members on one side, and the older youth who often serve as animators on the other side. The younger ones look up to their older helpers, he said. The careful balance between the two components - study and social action - also is a key to success, he said. "It is not enough to just give the participants the theory," Mr. Malitonga said. "The program really encourages them to put this theory into practice and be of service to their community." Mr. Sabantu - who is a Baha'i and has lived in southern Zambia his whole life - said since the program started he is noticing more harmony among the youngsters. Boys in the area, he said, spend most of their time in small groups tending cattle - groups that sometimes behave like small gangs and get into fights with each other. "An immediate change that came from these classes has been the cessation of the fights among the herder boys who have joined the groups," he said. "There is also more interaction among them, more harmony. The boys and the girls are also working together in the community, not just in school."

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OTTAWA

Canada

Arctic warming is one focus of conference

Arctic warming is one focus of conference OTTAWA, Canada — Some of the notable effects of global warming are being felt by people who don't contribute much to the problem - those who live in the Arctic. So says John Stone, who for 10 years has worked with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a key international group that directs assessments of global warming. The IPCC is the winner, along with Al Gore, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Scientists announced last summer that the Arctic ice pack retreated more this past year than in any year since satellites began tracking the ice sheet. "This is happening in a part of the world whose contribution to climate change has been small," Dr. Stone said at the 11th annual conference of the International Environment Forum, a Baha'i-inspired group. People living in the Arctic, he said, "have bonds to the earth (that) are extremely close ... and (their) coping capacity is strained and commuity infrastructure and ecosystems becoming far more vulnerable." John Crump, Polar Issues coordinator of the United Nations' Environment Programme's GRID-Arendal, said that while the Inuit people have a long history of resilience and adaptation, "the question is how much adaptation is possible and how much adaptation can the world expect." The problem will not be solved by simply relocating communities at risk, he said. "It will take concerted, collective, and coordinated action at the international level" to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol and much more "to work our way out of climate change," said Mr. Crump. "The cost of inaction is much higher, and the most vulnerable regions will pay the most, first. But in the end we will all pay," he said, suggesting that there is a high moral and cultural cost for displacing an entire people. The Arctic was only one focus of the conference, held in mid-October in Ottawa. For a longer report about issues discussed at the gathering, go to the Web site of the Canadian Baha'i News Service. Reported by the Canadian Baha'i News Service

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BUNISI

Papua New Guinea

Remote Baha'i school adds two new grades

Remote Baha'i school adds two new grades BUNISI, Papua New Guinea — In the remote village of Bunisi in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea, the age you start school doesn't depend on how old you are – it depends on whether you can handle the hike to and from class. Each morning, children trek for two hours, walking 2,000 feet down the mountain to the Ikara Primary School. And each afternoon, they hike back up. Not easy for a 7-year-old. "By the time the children get to school they are exhausted," said Jalal Mills, a Baha'i familiar with the educational system in Bunisi. "Then they are expected to concentrate in class and learn." But now the situation is changing, at least for the first and second graders. Last month, the Bunisi Elementary School, which until recently only served preschoolers, added new classrooms. A festive meal – with a wild boar cooked outdoors – was part of the celebration for the new school buildings.Operated by the Baha'i community of Bunisi, the school serves students in preschool and now grades one and two from nearly a dozen nearby villages, covering an area with a population of perhaps 1,000 people. The pupils come from different religious backgrounds. "The people are happy that the Baha'is have helped build a school to provide education for the boys and girls of the area," said Kessia Ruh, who in September traveled by helicopter from Rabaul to attend the inauguration of the new classrooms. A Baha'i counselor, Ms. Ruh said the Baha'is themselves were eager to have outside visitors for the ceremony. "They hadn't had visitors from outside the area, and they wanted other neighboring villages to know that the Baha'i friends from (other places) would come," she said. The school was started in 1995 by local Baha'is, who were concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for their children. They began with a preschool and spent last year working to add the new classrooms. They hope to expand further, perhaps adding a grade each year. Some 50 Baha'is live in Bunisi, with another few hundred in the surrounding area. Instruction in the school is in the local language, Umaikana, because that is the norm in the country for the first three years of school. Students pay the equivalent of about US$3 a term and, because it is a government-registered school, public subsidies pay another US$99 per term for each child. The school has three teachers, offering class for some 75 children in all. Two of the teachers are Baha'is, but most of the students are not. Religious instruction is limited to specified periods, and several religions are taught. Even for Papua New Guinea, Bunisi is remote. Located 4,600 feet above sea level near the Milne Bay area in the eastern part of the country, Bunisi doesn't appear on most maps – it is just one of many small villages that dot the area. The closest settlement with electricity and running water is Rabaraba, a coastal station reached by a two-day walk through the mountains. Bunisi itself has no electricity, no running water and no telecommunication services. Most of the people are subsistence farmers. In addition to Ms. Ruh, other guests of honor at the inauguration were Chief Sigeru Buapa of the Bunisi area and the headmaster of the Ikara Primary School, where older children from the area will continue to attend classes. All the guests joined in singing and dancing with local residents and hundreds of other visitors from the area who had hiked to Bunisi to participate in the festivities. The land for the school was donated by the chief. "Before, I used this land to hunt cuscus, and now I give it for the future generations to hunt for education," he said at the inauguration ceremony for the new classrooms.

HAIFA

Israel

Photos on new Web site bring into focus the life of Baha'u'llah

Photos on new Web site bring into focus the life of Baha'u'llah HAIFA, Israel — A new Web site featuring photographs that help viewers experience the life of Baha'u'llah has been launched by the Baha'i International Community. Some of the photographs have not been published before, and many of them have had only limited distribution. The launch of the Web site comes just before the Baha'i holy day on 12 November that marks the anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah. "The purpose of the Web site is to provide illustration of Baha'u'llah's life through photographs of places and artifacts and relics associated directly with Him," said Douglas Moore, director of the Office of Public Information of the Baha'i International Community. Historical photographs such as this one of Adrianople help viewers understand the world in which the revelation of Baha'u'llah unfolded."We've tried to bring together a unique collection of photos, many of them not generally available, so that you get a better sense of Baha'u'llah's life and the time period in which He lived," Mr. Moore said. Rather than providing a comprehensive history or literary presentation of the Baha'i Faith, the new Web site aims rather to be impressionistic. "It's more contemplative, more experiential," Mr. Moore said. Thus it complements other Web sites that do provide a more complete description of the religion, he said. Baha'u'llah was a Persian nobleman who in the 19th century claimed to be nothing less than a new and independent Messenger from God, the one whose advent was anticipated by all the divine Messengers of the past - including Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad - and foretold in the holy books. Baha'u'llah, who was born in 1817, was exiled from his native Tehran and banished to the Ottoman Empire - to Baghdad, Constantinople (now Istanbul), and finally Acre. "The new Web site is appropriate for a range of audiences, not only Baha'is and those who have a deep interest in the Baha'i Faith, but also people who, from an academic or historical perspective, want to see what kind of photographic documentation exists for such a unique figure as Baha'u'llah," Mr. Moore said. He noted that the Web site does not include a photograph of Baha'u'llah Himself. Such a photograph does exist, but it is treated with extreme reverence and viewed only in special circumstances; it is never published by Baha'is, nor would Baha'is reproduce it. The photographs on the Web site are from the archives at the Baha'i World Center in Haifa. The address of the site is www.bahaullah.org.

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34.9983856

NEW YORK

United States

Human rights groups issue report on Egypt

Human rights groups issue report on Egypt NEW YORK, United States — Egypt should end discriminatory practices that prevent Baha'is and others from listing their true religion on government documents, said Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights in a major report released this week. The 98-page report, titled "Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Freedom," focused on problems that have emerged from Egypt's practice of requiring citizens to state their religious identity on government documents but then restricting the choice to Islam, Christianity, or Judaism. "These policies and practices violate the right of many Egyptians to religious freedom," stated the report, which was released on 12 November 2007. "Because having an ID card is essential in many areas of public life, the policies also effectively deny these citizens a wide range of civil and political as well as economic and social rights," the report said. The Baha'i International Community welcomed the report. "We want to thank Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights for calling the world's attention to the human rights situation in Egypt," said Bani Dugal, the Baha'i International Community's principal representative to the United Nations. "The discriminatory practices identified by the report do indeed gravely affect Egypt's Baha'i community, as well as others in Egypt who seek to enjoy the freedom to believe as they choose, a right that is guaranteed by international law. "Our hope is that Egyptian authorities will now be encouraged to end their discriminatory practices, which could be dissolved with the stroke of a pen without harming the majority religious communities in the least," said Ms. Dugal. The joint HRW/EIPR report examined in detail how the limited choice offered to citizens in declaring their religion affects the daily life of Baha'is and also of converts from Islam. "While the Egyptian government's approach adversely affects anyone who is not Muslim, Christian, or Jewish, and anyone who would prefer to keep their convictions private, in Egypt today the greatest impact has been on adherents of the Baha'i faith and on persons who convert or wish to convert from Islam to Christianity," said the report. Further, the report said, this "limited choice is not based on any Egyptian law, but rather on the Ministry of Interior's interpretation of Shari'a, or Islamic law. An Egyptian citizen has no option to request a religious identification different from one of these, or to identify him or herself as having no religion. If he or she insists on doing so, authorities refuse to issue a national ID or related document reflecting the requested religious identification." "People without national IDs forfeit, among other things, the ability to carry out even the simplest monetary transactions at banks and other financial institutions. Other basic daily activities – engaging in a property transaction, acquiring a driver's license, obtaining a pension check – also require a national ID. "Employers, both public and private, by law cannot hire someone without an ID, and academic institutions require IDs for admission. Obtaining a marriage license or a passport requires a birth certificate; inheritance, pensions, and death benefits are contingent on death certificates. The Ministry of Health has even refused to provide immunizations to some Baha'i children because the Interior Ministry would not issue them birth certificates accurately listing their Baha'i religion," the report continued. "These policies and practices violate Egyptian as well as international law," said the report. Human Rights Watch, whose offices are in New York, states on its Web site that it is the largest human rights organization based in the United States. Its researchers investigate human rights abuses in all regions of the world. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights is an independent Egyptian human rights organization that was established in 2002 to promote and defend individual rights and freedoms, according to its Web site. It is based in Cairo. The report received considerable media attention after its release. The Associated Press, Agence France Presse, the BBC, Reuters, and the Voice of America all carried articles. To read HRW's summary of the report, go to this link: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/11/12/egypt17306.htm

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NEW YORK

United States

U.N. committee approves resolution about rights violations in Iran

U.N. committee approves resolution about rights violations in Iran NEW YORK, United States — A committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution today expressing "deep concern" about "ongoing systematic violations of human rights" in Iran. Put forward by Canada and co-sponsored by 41 other countries, the resolution took note of repression and persecution aimed by the Iranian government at groups ranging from women and women's rights defenders to the news media and labor groups, as well as various ethnic and religious minorities, including Iranian Baha'is. The resolution passed the General Assembly's Third Committee by a vote of 72 to 50 with 55 abstentions on 20 November 2007. The vote essentially assures passage of the resolution in a final vote by the entire Assembly scheduled for December. Its passage followed a call by Iran for "no action" on the motion, a vote that itself failed by 78 to 79, with 24 abstentions. That vote, also taken today, was seen as an important test of the General Assembly's will to examine human rights issues in specific countries when warranted. "We are pleased that the General Assembly did not shy away from its responsibility to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, as identified in the U.N. Charter," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "Not only for Iranian Baha'is but for other persecuted groups and individuals in Iran, expressions of concern by the international community such as this remain the most important source of protection and encouragement. "And it is especially important that Iran's efforts to sideline this kind of resolution through procedural maneuvering has failed again this year," said Ms. Dugal. "The vote against the so-called 'no action' motion before passage of the resolution itself makes a powerful statement about the importance of country-specific resolutions such as this." A "no action" motion is a procedure that, if passed, will prevent member states at the United Nations from even debating a particular resolution. It is being increasingly used to allow countries to avoid having to give a yes-or-no vote on politically sensitive issues, such as human rights, and so to escape the scrutiny of the world at large, Ms. Dugal explained. The resolution itself clearly describes a deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, expressing "serious concern" about "confirmed instances" of "torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations"; public executions, including stoning, and the "[a] rrests, violent repression, and sentencing of women exercising their right to peaceful assembly, a campaign of intimidation against women's human rights defenders, and continuing discrimination against women and girls." The resolution also notes "increasing discrimination and other human rights violations against persons belonging to religious, ethnic, linguistic or other minorities" including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sufis and Sunni Muslims and Baha'is. Regarding Baha'is, the resolution notes particularly that there have been "attacks on Baha'is and their faith in State-sponsored media, increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify and monitor Baha'is and prevention of (Baha'is) from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically; an increase in cases of arbitrary arrest and detention." The resolution also discusses "ongoing, systemic and serious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of opinion and expression, including those imposed on the media and trade unions, and increasing harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents and human rights defenders, from all sectors of Iranian society, including arrests and violent repression of labour leaders, labour members peacefully assembling and students." For more information, visit https://news.bahai.org

40.7127281

-74.0060152

KAMPALA

Uganda

Ugandans study approaches to development

Ugandans study approaches to development KAMPALA, Uganda — After five frustrating decades of stalled attempts at development, a group of Ugandans have come together to examine the experience in their country and search for effective approaches. A cross-section of community leaders, policy makers, and educators discuss their thinking in a new film, which was premiered in Kampala last month before an audience that included former Prime Minister Kinto Musoke and other dignitaries. "Development has not fulfilled its promises," states businessman Gimoro Laker-Ojok at the beginning of the film, which is titled "Opening a Space - The Discourse on Science, Religion and Development in Uganda." "In the 1950s and '60s, the disparities between rich and poor in Uganda were not this marked," continues Daisy Namono of CELSOL Consulting Services. "There is a need to look at what went wrong." From the Rev. Sam Ebukalin, who works with a program called Yiga Ng' Okola (Learn As You Work): "Development has, for the past 50 years, missed its target. ... What is missing?" "We need to go back to the drawing board in some cases," says Elizabeth Kharono, program coordinator for Living Earth Uganda. Produced by the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, a nonprofit corporation associated with the Baha'i International Community, the film then develops the gist of the argument - that development programs have tended to view the poor as "bundles of needs" rather than as contributors to solutions. Former Ugandan Prime Minister Kinto Musoke participates in the discussion at the premiere of the new film."They are looking at poor people as people who don't have anything to offer," states Basil Wanzira of the Poverty Alleviation Community Development Foundation. "Opening a Space" promotes the idea that people are not to be considered passive recipients of aid, rather they themselves should help formulate policy and bring about change. And they should do this using knowledge gained from both science and from religion. "There is a need to have wider participation by the very people who will be affected by the policy," Dr. J.J. Otim, presidential adviser for agriculture, says in the film. "We strongly now believe in Uganda, if there is any policy that the government wants to put in place, it must follow a participatory approach, ... it must not be designed in the offices." Several other key themes emerge in the film: -- Humans are spiritual beings, so for effective change to occur, spiritual realities should be considered alongside material well-being. -- Science and religion offer complementary systems of knowledge, both of which should be applied to the question of development. -- Not only do the poor need access to knowledge to address the many challenges they face, they themselves should help generate the knowledge that guides policy-making. The debut of the film on 30 October 2007 drew more than a hundred people. In addition to the former prime minister, Sita Masamba, the director of UNAFRI, and John Mitala, head of the Ugandan civil service, were in attendance. Rebecca Kadaga, the deputy speaker of Parliament, gave the keynote address. She said the ideas were so compelling that she would arrange for all the members of Parliament to see the film. "There was a lot of excitement around the possibilities this dialogue could offer," said George Olinga of the Ugandan Baha'i Office for External Affairs. "This DVD has stimulated many ideas around new and different ways of thinking about development." Dr. Haleh Arbab, director of the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, said Uganda now has four working groups who are discussing what development would look like if it were based on the concepts outlined in the film. "We want people not to become consumers of packages offered by development organizations but to become creators, decision-makers," she said. The institute she heads has promoted the discourse on science, religion, and development in several countries - notably India in addition to Uganda - as part of its mission to explore new concepts and models of social transformation.

0.3177137

32.5813539

GONUKROM VILLAGE

WESTERN REGION

Ghana

In Ghana, innovative literacy program brings dramatic results

In Ghana, innovative literacy program brings dramatic results GONUKROM VILLAGE, WESTERN REGION, Ghana — For years, Owusu Ansah Malik thought his native language, Twi, was second-rate. English, the national language of Ghana, was emphasized at his school. But a program that offers instruction, books, and mentoring in Twi has helped the 16-year-old see the value of his mother tongue – and improved his English literacy at the same time. "I thought our Ghanaian language was too poor to be learned, since its teaching was not encouraged," said Owusu, who is in Class Eight at the Gonukrom Junior Secondary School. "But with this program, I realized that our language is rich and can be learned. It has also helped me to read English easily." Owusu is one of 22,000 students in Ghana who have participated in the "Enlightening the Hearts" literacy program, which is aimed at helping young people age 9 to 15 read and write in their own language. Operated by the Olinga Foundation for Human Development, a Baha'i-inspired nongovernmental organization, the program has offered training in more than 260 remote primary and junior secondary schools in Ghana's Western Region since 2000. By all accounts Enlightening the Hearts is highly successful, helping to triple the literacy rates among participants and winning praise from students, parents, teachers, and government education officials. "The methodology makes it so simple to acquire language skills," said Samson Boakye, a teacher at the Anyinabrim primary school. "The syllabic approach is excellent. Then there is transfer of knowledge from the Ghanaian language to the English language. Children are therefore reading the English language fluently." Along with its distinctive method for teaching literacy, the program also incorporates elements of moral education by emphasizing virtues drawn from religious scriptures – another feature that has drawn praise. "Why I like this program mostly is the moral aspect of the book which will no doubt help children to become good citizens in the future," said Ayyub Yaku Aidoo, a teacher at the Samreboi primary school. The origins of the project go back to 1996, when the Baha'i community of Ghana initiated a literacy campaign. It was handed off to the Olinga Foundation in 2001. The foundation itself was started by a group of Baha'i educators in 2000. The foundation was named after Enoch Olinga, one of the first Africans to accept the Baha'i Faith. Its mission is to promote universal basic education, to empower young people, and, according to its Web site, "to build the capacities needed to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization on the African continent." In addition to the Enlightening the Hearts literacy campaign, the Olinga Foundation has three other programs: (1) a capacity-building program for community leaders, (2) community-development facilitator training, and (3) a junior youth empowerment project. In all of its programs, the foundation draws on Baha'i social and spiritual principles, emphasizing specifically the equality of women and men, the right to universal basic education, and the need to eliminate prejudice. At present, the literacy program reaches the largest population, and has drawn the most attention. "This is our main program," said Leslie Casely-Hayford, director of the foundation. "We believe literacy and moral education are essential to the progress and development of society." The literacy project currently operates in two districts in the Western Region, Wasa Amenfi West and Wasa Amenfi East, and plans are well advanced to offer the program in a district in Ghana's Eastern Region. The focus is on remote and underserved school populations. Teacher Victoria Kwofie leads students in their work at the Anyinabrim primary school."The program places great emphasis on reaching children in deprived-area schools, which are often off the main road," said Dr. Casely-Hayford. Once schools are selected, the foundation provides specialized training and on-site supervision for teachers, and books and other materials for students. About 40 to 50 schools are chosen each year. The program has had impressive results. In its own surveys of select schools, the project found that the average baseline literacy rate from 2002-2006 was about 17 percent. Among those students who were tested after completing the 10-month program, the literacy rate averaged 52 percent. "That represents a tripling of the literacy rate," said Dr. Casely-Hayford, noting that a 2004 World Bank report indicated that literacy among Ghanaian children in primary school is extremely low. By one measure, the report said, fewer than five percent of students showed mastery of English in 2000. An evaluation by the district education office found that students in schools participating in the program also performed exceptionally well in the Ghanaian language subject section of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The project's success, said Dr. Casely-Hayford and others, stems largely from its practice of using the local language as the language for literacy instruction. "Experience over the last five years in three language groups – Twi, Ewe, and Dagbani – has proven that this approach speeds the learner's ability to acquire basic literacy skills, and increases their confidence by using a phonetic and syllabic approach," said Dr. Casely-Hayford. Leonard Nubuasah, national program coordinator for the Olinga Foundation, said that many children quickly become literate during the nine-month program. "The children can transfer their knowledge of literacy in their own language easily into the English language," said Mr. Nubuasah, a former teacher who has been with Olinga for five years. Another key to the program's effectiveness is the motivational impulse generated by the emphasis on moral education and the use of the Holy Writings of the three major religions practiced in the region. "Access to Holy Writings can also stimulate individual and collective transformation," said Dr. Casely-Hayford. "It also ensures human capacity development such that a child's full potential is realized." The moral values discussed in the workbooks are patience, honesty, trustworthiness, love, humility, obedience, purity, kindness, and modesty. "We used these nine virtues because they are highly embedded in our Ghanaian society at the local level," said Mr. Nubuasah. "The Christian preachers talk about them, the Muslims discuss them, and they are also found in the Baha'i Faith. These are the three main religions here, and these virtues are the building blocks for our children." Mr. Nubuasah said that another sign of the project's success is that about 75 percent of the schools that have participated in the nine-month program have continued to use the methodology. "We know this because every year we continue to supply these schools with books, and we continue to monitor the program by visiting each school – if they are not too remote – two or three times a year," said Mr. Nubuasah. Last year, Michael Nsowah, acting director general of the Ghana Education Service, wrote a letter recommending that other educational districts in Ghana consider adopting the Olinga Foundation's literacy program. "They have been highly effective in the regions they have worked in," said Mr. Nsowah. "They have increased reading and literacy levels and brought values into the learning environment. All my regional offices were happy with their work." "They do a lot of work in remote places that are difficult to access. They provide both learning materials and skills development. This is an important thing for a country like Ghana that does not have too much money," said Mr. Nsowah. Cost-effective Because of its emphasis on cost-effectiveness, the program has been able to reach large numbers of children through teacher training and the provision of literacy materials. According to Dr. Casely-Hayford, it costs about US$300 to open a program in a new school and support that school for one year. The project receives most of its support from the Baha'i International Community's Office of Social and Economic Development. It has also received support from the Canadian International Development Agency, the National Spiritual Assembly of Ghana, and the North American Women's Association of Ghana, along with several other groups and individuals across the world. The emphasis on providing specialized training to teachers is another factor in the program's success. To date the program has trained over 350 primary and junior secondary school teachers. The training has two main goals: encouraging and enabling teachers to improve the quality of education in schools through better literacy instruction and to introduce the concepts of moral education and personal transformation. Mr. Nubuasah said many teachers were at first unmotivated and unsure about how to teach children how to read and write, especially using the local language. "But the Holy Writings of the Baha'i Faith, especially, speak about the importance of education and the station of teachers," said Mr. Nubuasah. "This becomes a source of motivation." Entwi Bosiako, the head teacher at the Gonukrom primary school, said the methodology taught by the Olinga Foundation was simple and easy to use, as were the textbooks. "This has motivated me to teach the Ghanaian language," said Mr. Bosiako, 39. "The Holy Writings used for reflections during the training workshop are also a source of inspiration and motivation." District education officials say the program's success extends beyond the simple promotion of literacy. "Our students have had problems with reading," said Nana Bobbie, assistant director of the Wassa Amenfi West district education office. "When Olinga started, we saw improvements in the places that they were working. We also saw that people started talking about values and we were impressed. So the work that they are doing has had a good impact on education as a whole. "Also the teachers ... have now become excited by the training. I think this is another key to the foundation's success." "We really appreciate their help," said Mr. Bobbie. "Morality has broken down so badly in Ghana. We had been looking for a way to salvage the situation for a while. Then the Olinga Foundation came with their books and values. We really like the moral education attached to the literacy campaign."

UNITED NATIONS

United States

Violence against women needs global attention, says panel at the U.N.

Violence against women needs global attention, says panel at the U.N. UNITED NATIONS, United States — Government and civil society representatives called for renewed attention to the issue of preventing violence against women in a panel discussion here this week. The discussion, which was organized by the Baha'i International Community and the Christian Children's Fund in cooperation with the U.N. missions of France and the Netherlands, looked at ways that national and local communities around the world can intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women. "Despite significant progress, violence against women and girls continues to be a global problem," said Fulya Vekiloglu, director of the Baha'i International Community's Office for the Advancement of Women. "So the effort to organize this discussion is one way to help keep this on the agenda of governments and nongovernmental organizations, and especially to focus on the implementation of recent international agreements to fight and prevent violence against women." Panelists included Fabien Fieschi, first secretary of the Permanent Mission of France to the U.N.; Hedda Samson, first secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the U.N.; Mike Wessells, senior child protection adviser of the Christian Children's Fund; and Michael L. Penn, an associate professor of psychology at Franklin and Marshall College, who represented the Baha'i International Community. The discussion was moderated by Carolyn Hannan, director of the U.N.'s Division for the Advancement of Women, UN/DESA. Mr. Fieschi outlined the importance of a resolution passed by the U.N. General Assembly last year that called for governments and civil society to take stronger measures to eliminate violence against women. The 2006 resolution was intensely negotiated, he said, but was nevertheless adopted by consensus. "The resolution also recognized the important role of civil society in the fight against violence against women," he said. Ms. Samson noted that the 2006 resolution places important obligations on states to "prevent, investigate, and punish" violence against women. She noted, however, that it also emphasizes preventive measures, such as training for health workers, teachers, law enforcement personnel, and others. Mr. Wessells stressed the importance of engaging religious and community leaders in efforts to change social norms that allow violence against women and girls. Communities and prevailing attitudes can be "significant barriers" to reducing violence against women, but "communities can also be vital supports for women," he said. Dr. Penn talked about the importance of strategies aimed at changing old patterns of thinking in men, boys, and communities. In particular, he said, legal measures to eradicate violence against women should be accompanied by local, national, and international initiatives that cultivate and inspire the human spirit and promote a consciousness of the "dignity and nobility of all people." He emphasized that everyone has a responsibility to fight practices and attitudes that lead to violence against women. As an example, he discussed the problem of pornography becoming accepted as a legitimate form of entertainment. "The trend towards the marketing and commercialization of pornography around the world is one that ought to concern governments, NGOs, and local communities," said Dr. Penn. A number of studies have shown that pornography socializes men into relations with women and girls that are "dangerous for their psychological, social, physical, and moral health," he said.

HELSINKI

Finland

Finnish TV talk show host finds success in unconventional approach

Finnish TV talk show host finds success in unconventional approach HELSINKI, Finland — Television talk shows often use conflict as their formula to win viewers, but a young producer in Finland is making a go of it with a different model. On his Monday night program, Aram Aflatuni presents a problem, then has a panel of experts try to solve it using consultation and cooperation. "I don't believe in confrontational journalism," he says. "I do not think that it is an effective way of finding solutions." His hour-long show - "Harkaa Sarvista," or "Grab the Bull by the Horns" - this week wraps up its first season of 15 episodes and has attracted as many as 345,000 viewers. Average viewership was 220,000 - 20 percent of the TV audience for its time period. In Finland, TV shows often look for confrontation and "sometimes quite aggressive debate," said Juho-Pekka Rantala, a television executive who works on this show and others. "'Harkaa Sarvista' is different. It is looking for solutions." Viewers are invited to submit an issue for consultation. If chosen, the person goes on the air and presents the problem to the panel. Mr. Aflatuni, 31, is a member of the Baha'i Faith and said he tries to use part of a consultation model used by Baha'is as the starting point for his show. Aram Aflatuni, seen here on the set of his late night prime time show, has been working on television for 11 years.It is a model that asks participants to remain personally detached from the ideas presented as everyone seeks a single truth or best outcome. No one "owns" or takes credit or blame for any idea offered during the consultation. "It's a brave show because it is different," said Laura Jansson, a psychologist and human relations specialist who has appeared on the program. "In principle, the consultative model is a key to the show's success," said Mrs. Jansson, who is a Baha'i. But viewers and even participants generally are unaware of the principles behind what is going on. More obvious, she said, is the skill of the host in guiding the conversation. "People in the world today are very egotistical," she said. "They try and push everything through themselves and make themselves look good.... Aram keeps people focused on the issue and not themselves." Immigration, asylum, schizophrenia, boss-employee relations, intercultural communication, and health care issues are among the subjects that have been addressed. One week, a young refugee from Eritrea who was facing deportation appeared on the program and outlined his predicament. To weigh solutions, Mr. Aflatuni had gathered a lawyer, a clergyman, a psychologist, the head of a nongovernmental agency, a politician, and another refugee. The discussion revealed some facts and produced some ideas, including a suggestion from the other refugee that the young man could go underground and thus avoid deportation. Not surprisingly, other panel members didn't feel that was the best idea - going underground is illegal and also psychologically harmful. The panel suggested ways that the man might be able to stay in Finland legally and also talked about how he could prepare himself for the possibility of deportation. It turned out that although the young immigrant had been working, his employment had not been deemed full-time and had not satisfied the authorities. It wasn't anything that a good lawyer couldn't fix by talking to the various parties, and several attorneys indeed came forward after the show and offered their services free of charge. The young man no longer faces imminent deportation, and his case is being reconsidered by the authorities, Mr. Aflatuni said. MORE DETAILS Still, Mr. Aflatuni's goal with the program is to go beyond resolving the dilemma of one individual and shed a broader light on society. "One aspect of the show is to raise awareness of humanitarian issues," he said, noting that sometimes this means "putting pressure on the system" by informing the public of difficult situations or outright injustices. "People have an inflated idea of the human rights situation in Finland," he said. One unusual program addressed the subject of triplets, and the difficulties of parents of modest means trying to cope with three newborn babies. "A woman from the Triplets' Association came on the show and said you really cannot do it without help," Mr. Aflatuni related. Also invited to speak was the father of a set of young triplets, and some 30-year-old triplets who described the experience of their family. As a result of the program, one Finnish city changed its policy for public aid and will provide a helper five days a week for one family with three new babies, Mr. Aflatuni said. Future TV plans Mr. Aflatuni is determined to continue exploring the use of consultation on television as a way to resolve problems, but he says the challenges are stiff. "There is pressure on me to change the show and make it more confrontational," he acknowledges. "But I think this will kill the spirit of the show. If you bring negative elements in, you destroy this consultative model that we are developing." He remembers one show where he invited doctors and nurses to discuss a health-care crisis, but tempers were short and people indeed became confrontational. "It is too hard to find a solution under those circumstances," he said. He said he had better success with a program that featured a 32-year-old convict who was being released from prison after 10 years. The man seemed serious about going straight but felt overwhelmed by a large debt that he owed. On the program, the panel of experts counseled him to dismiss thoughts of the debt for the time-being and concentrate on getting a job. They also coached him about the way he seemed to cultivate his "tough-guy" image rather than exhibiting the humility that would help him in the working world. "He still has an attitude problem," Mr. Aflatuni said, recounting that the man had found a job but then lost it. "Harkaa Sarvista" might revisit the case for a discussion of where things had gone wrong and how they might be made aright. The idea of following a problem, periodically evaluating how the supposed solutions are working, and changing course or adjusting details as needed, is part of Mr. Aflatuni's vision for the program. He said his biggest challenge as producer stems from his program being based on an untried concept. "We don't have examples of a show like this on TV," he said. "It would have been easier to use an older show as a model. But as it is, we are the people that are creating the model."

60.1674881

24.9427473

UNITED NATIONS

United States

U.N. General Assembly expresses "deep concern" about human rights in Iran

U.N. General Assembly expresses "deep concern" about human rights in Iran UNITED NATIONS, United States — The United Nations General Assembly yesterday adopted a resolution expressing "deep concern" about "ongoing systematic violations of human rights" in Iran. Adopted by a final vote of 73 to 53, with 55 abstentions, the resolution took note of repression and persecution aimed by the Iranian government at groups ranging from women and women's rights defenders to the news media and labor groups, as well as various ethnic and religious minorities, including Baha'is. "We are happy that the General Assembly, the most globally representative body of United Nations, has seen fit once again this year to call attention to the dire situation in Iran, where Baha'is and other groups continue to face oppression and persecution by the government," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "Our hope now is that the Iranian government will heed the opinion of the international community and stop the systematic violation of human rights directed against its own people," said Ms. Dugal. The resolution, put forward by Canada and co-sponsored by 41 other countries, describes the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, expressing "serious concern" about "confirmed instances" of "torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations"; public executions, including stoning, and "arrests, violent repression, and sentencing of women exercising their right to peaceful assembly, a campaign of intimidation against women's human rights defenders, and continuing discrimination against women and girls." The resolution, the 20th on Iran since 1985, also notes "increasing discrimination and other human rights violations against persons belonging to religious, ethnic, linguistic or other minorities" including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sufis and Sunni Muslims and Baha'is. Regarding Baha'is, the resolution notes particularly that there have been "attacks on Baha'is and their faith in State-sponsored media, increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify and monitor Baha'is and prevention of (Baha'is) from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically; an increase in cases of arbitrary arrest and detention."

CAIRO

Egypt

Egyptian court to rule on new religious freedom cases

Egyptian court to rule on new religious freedom cases CAIRO, Egypt — A court is expected to rule early next week on two cases related to the government's policy on religious affiliation and national identity papers, an issue that has been hotly debated here in recent months and a focus of international human rights concerns. The first case involves a lawsuit by the father of twin children, who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them. The second concerns a college student, who needs a national identity card to re-enroll in university. Both are set for "final judgment" by the Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo on 25 December 2007. In both cases, the individuals involved are unable to obtain government identification papers because they are Baha'is. "The world has increasingly come to understand the basic injustice imposed by the Egyptian government's policies on religious affiliation and official documents -- and the court has before it in these two cases the chance once again to right that wrong," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community. "Last year, under pressure from Muslim fundamentalists, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected a lower court decision that had required the government to include the word 'Baha'i' on official documents. These two new cases offer a compromise solution, asking merely that the religious affiliation field be left blank or filled in with the word 'other,'" added Ms. Dugal. The government requires all identification papers to list religious affiliation but then restricts the choice to the three officially recognized religions -- Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Baha'is are thus unable to obtain identification papers because they refuse to lie about their religious affiliation. Without national identity cards -- or, as in the case of the twin children, birth certificates -- Baha'is and others caught in the law's contradictory requirements are deprived of a wide range of citizenship rights, such as access to employment, education, and medical and financial services. These problems were highlighted in a report issued in November by Human Rights Watch and the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). "Employers, both public and private, by law cannot hire someone without an ID, and academic institutions require IDs for admission," said the report. "Obtaining a marriage license or a passport requires a birth certificate; inheritance, pensions, and death benefits are contingent on death certificates. The Ministry of Health has even refused to provide immunizations to some Baha'i children because the Interior Ministry would not issue them birth certificates accurately listing their Baha'i religion." The issuance of birth certificates is at the heart of the first case, which concerns 14-year-old twins Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi. Their father, Rauf Hindi, obtained birth certificates that recognized their Baha'i affiliation when they were born. But new policies require computer generated certificates, and the computer system locks out any religious affiliation but the three officially recognized religions. And without birth certificates, the children are unable to enroll in school in Egypt. The second lawsuit was filed by the EIPR last February on behalf of 18-year-old Hussein Hosni Bakhit Abdel-Massih, who was suspended from the Suez Canal University's Higher Institute of Social Work in January 2006 due to his inability to obtain an identity card because of his refusal to falsely identify himself as either a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew. In both cases, lawyers representing the Baha'is have made it clear that they are willing to settle for cards or documents on which the religious affiliation field is left blank or filled in, perhaps, as "other." This solution is what makes these two cases different from the lawsuit that was rejected by the Supreme Administrative Court last year, said Hossam Baghat, director of the EIPR. "The negative ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court has forced us to file these new cases," said Mr. Baghat, whose organization has been at the forefront of defending Egyptian Baha'is in this controversy. "The facts are extremely similar to the case that we lost last year, but we are calling this time for documents without any religious affiliation. "For us, this is really the test for the government and the judiciary on this issue. Because if the main problem is the fact that the Baha'i Faith is not recognized in Egypt, then there should be no grounds for them to deny these Egyptian citizens documents that are necessary for their daily life without any reference to religion." Mr. Baghat said the cases also have implications for religious freedom in general in Egypt. "So far, the problem only affects Egyptian Baha'is, but the same problem could arise in theory with Egyptians who are adherents of Buddhism or Hinduism," said Mr. Baghat. "But it is also important for people who do not wish to be identified with any religion, which is a right guaranteed by both Egyptian and international law." For Egyptian Baha'is, the facts of life on the ground continue to deteriorate in the absence of a solution, said Labib Hanna, a spokesperson for the Egyptian Baha'i community. "We are not able to do anything without valid identification papers," said Dr. Hanna, who is a professor of mathematics at Cairo University. "We cannot renew a driver's license, we cannot obtain permanent employment, and we cannot send our children to school." He said many Baha'is are able to meet the needs of daily life by taking temporary positions, dealing with banks, schools, or other institutions where they have an established relationship, or by continuing to use old, paper-based identification cards that allowed for other options in the religious affiliation field. "We are trying to survive," said Dr. Hanna. "But it is difficult. We are struggling."

30.0443879

31.2357257

COLUMBIA

SOUTH CAROLINA

United States

Beyond expectations: Weekly gathering surprises hosts

Beyond expectations: Weekly gathering surprises hosts COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, United States — A couple of neighbors in this southern U.S. city have been throwing a weekly "spiritual party" - a prayer meeting - and the reaction to it has surprised them. "When the devotional gathering started, all our friends just came out of the woodwork," said J. B. Frush-Marple, who with his friend Oak Ritchie co-hosts the meetings at Mr. Ritchie's house. "People who I never would have thought would be receptive to prayer were just energized by it," said Mr. Frush-Marple, 33. Three people came to the first gathering a year ago, and regular attendance now is about 15. Once 25 people showed up. Some are neighbors, some are friends, some are friends of friends. The pair are usually the only Baha'is. Others are Christian - both Protestant and Catholic - and still others don't label their religion, or perhaps would say they are unbelievers. The gatherings are held each Tuesday and begin with a simple dinner prepared by the two friends, followed by devotions. Usually Mr. Ritchie, a professional musician, starts by singing a Baha'i prayer. Sometimes people sing with him. Then others say prayers. Some read verses from Baha'i prayer books available at the gathering. Others say prayers from their own religious tradition. Still others pray in their own words. Mr. Ritchie, 28, said the comfortable environment of his home helps the guests relax and get into the experience of prayer. "It's not an unfriendly building somewhere. It's not a church, or a Baha'i Center. It's my home. It's like a spiritual party where everyone is noticed," said Mr. Ritchie, who is known as "Oak." Lloyce Nelson is a neighbor who has gotten to know the two men only in the past year but said she feels like she has known them forever. "I love the fact that they are open to people of all religions to come, pray, talk and examine their lives," said Ms. Nelson, who is a Christian. "Prayer is an intimate thing," she said. "In sharing that intimacy you become closer to people." Mr. Ritchie said his friends like coming to the gatherings because they provide a place where people can explore some of the deeper aspects of themselves yet the format isn't complicated. "It's the simplicity of the gathering that people like," said Mr. Ritchie. "You know, coming together to break bread and say prayers with each other." Justin H. Williams has attended the gatherings. He is a blind man that describes himself as a "wandering warrior." He also clearly identifies himself as a Christian. "People are afraid of what they don't know," Mr. Williams said. "But there is nothing to be afraid of here. Getting together to say prayers, singing, talking and having dinner shouldn't scare anyone! Sometimes I'll notice that I'm the only Christian there, but it's still okay." Mr. Williams said that these meetings create an environment that helps people become closer. "This is one of the only times that praying with a group has brought me closer to them," he said. "I believe that with a Baha'i Faith devotional you are going to be closer to people than you can be at other prayer meetings. Because it is more intimate. There are only a couple of you in that room and you really get to know each other on another level - a spiritual level." Mr. Frush-Marple, who himself became a Baha'i about a year ago, said the meetings are easy to host. "To tell you the truth, all we prepare for them is food," he said. "Oak and I will put out prayer books and things, but the experience on the night is really an organic one. People are able to go with what they are feeling. "I think we associate group prayer with a ritualistic practice," he said. "But here it's just our souls communing together. These meetings present a different paradigm when it comes to community prayer." The gatherings have a noticeable effect on people, said Mr. Ritchie. "At the end of the meeting you can see a serenity in people - you just know they are at peace," he said. "When people that experience this together meet in other places they can fall right back into that serenity. It's a new kind of comfort with people. It's like the type of comfort two people that have been through a lot of tests and trials have with each other." Ms. Nelson said she has noticed changes around the neighborhood, too. "I've seen some positive changes in some of the young people," she said. "There is one young man I know that tells me no matter what is going on in his life, and there is a lot going on, he always feels better leaving the meeting than he did when he went in."

34.0007493

-81.0343313

CAIRO

Egypt

Egypt religious freedom cases continued to 22 January

Egypt religious freedom cases continued to 22 January CAIRO, Egypt — Court hearings on two lawsuits filed by Baha'is over the government's policy on religious affiliation and national identity papers have been continued until 22 January 2008. The two cases, the first by the father of twin children who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them and the second by a college student who needs a national identity card to re-enroll in university, had been set for "final judgment" by the Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo today. But the hearings were unexpectedly postponed. The court indicated it is still deliberating on the cases. The cases both arise from the fact that the Egyptian government requires all identification papers to list religious affiliation but then restricts the choice to the three officially recognized religions – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Baha'is are thus unable to obtain identification papers because they refuse to lie about their religious affiliation. Without national identity cards -- or, as in the case of the twin children, birth certificates – Baha'is and others caught in the law's contradictory requirements are deprived of a wide range of citizenship rights, such as access to employment, education, and medical and financial services. (Update: On 22 January 2008, it was announced that the cases had been continued until 29 January 2008.)

30.0443879

31.2357257

OFFENBACH

Germany

People's Theater from Germany goes international

People's Theater from Germany goes international OFFENBACH, Germany — After six years of perfecting a technique that combines drama and discussion as a means to communicate with youth, a German theater group has gone international. Individuals or agencies in four countries have commissioned People's Theater to give performances or offer training in the technique, said Erfan Diebel, one of the administrators of the drama group. In the coming months, the troupe also expects to perform in at least three additional nations, he said. The technique involves a cast of young, amateur actors presenting a skit that highlights a common problem among youth, such as negative peer pressure, lack of patience with others, or backbiting. At a critical moment in the drama, the action is frozen and the audience discusses how one might respond to the situation. In Luxembourg, officials at the Ministry of Education think the method shows enough promise that they commissioned People's Theater to train 17 staff members from various schools around the country, then take a tour of some of the schools to show the program in action. "During role play, actual life situations are simulated and experienced," Patrick Wesquet, a social educator from the ministry, said of the program. "The player tries to act according to his role. He ... experiences the feelings and thoughts of the others, learns to accept them in their roles, and develops empathy." After the pause in action in the skit and the audience discussion, the actors, with help from the students, try to act out some of the suggestions. "The young people ... recognize themselves in the role and whether or why their suggestion has contributed to the resolution of the conflict," Mr. Wesquet said. Besides Germany and Luxembourg, countries where People's Theater is giving performances or providing training include Austria, Liechtenstein, and Israel. Additional shows are set for the United Kingdom, Serbia, and Switzerland, Mr. Diebel said. Mr. Diebel and some of the others involved in the project are members of the Baha'i Faith and say part of their motivation is to put into practice the teachings of their religion about social justice and moral leadership. MORE DETAILS Mr. Wesquet of the Education Ministry in Luxembourg noted that the role of schools in the life of young people seems to be growing. "More and more frequently, schools are no longer seen as being merely a place for learning, but also a place for living," he said. "The teachers and the staff of the school psychological services are able to assume an increasingly important role alongside the parents." "The aim of this project is to promote the personal and social skills of young people," he said. "During adolescence young people have to cope with a variety of challenges, such as establishing more mature relationships with their peers, developing an ethical system of values, practicing socially responsible behavior, adopting male/female gender roles, emotional independence from parents and other adults, preparation for marriage, family and a profession, and acceptance of their own physical appearance," he continued. "The theater offers a great opportunity to try out these demands in a 'playful' way," he said. Peter Schumacher, who was involved in bringing People's Theater to Austria, explains it this way: "Especially during puberty, teenagers tend to hide their insecurities behind a mask of coolness and arrogance. In a game situation, however, a young person is totally confronted by himself and his personality." "Such an experience is very moving," added Dr. Schumacher, who is the head of the youth department the Tyrolean Chamber of Labor. The chamber sponsored a function where Tyrolean school directors were invited to see People's Theater perform. Afterwards the school directors asked the chamber to have the drama group return to Austria for presentations at eight vocational schools, Mr. Diebel said. Reaction Mr. Diebel says there is strong anecdotal evidence that the program is effective. For example, the group heard from a teacher in Germany a week after People's Theater had done a drama presentation called "Apple Pie" that addressed the human quality of patience - the teacher said that afterwards, whenever the students behaved impatiently, she merely said the words "Apple Pie" and immediately they corrected their behavior. "I will keep everything in my head," wrote a youngster from another school who watched a performance. "It's something that is easy to imitate." Another youth described a personal response during the program: "I was contemplating a lot, and I also raised my hand a lot." Still another student said, "I like that you stop the skit when there is a problem, so that we can solve it." Mr. Diebel said one key to the success of the program is that the actors are very young - usually between 18 and 25 years old - making it easier for children and youth to relate to them. "All of you are very cool," wrote one young fan to the troupe. Background People's Theater was started by in 2001 by Erfan Enayati of Offenbach. He got the concept of stopping the action to allow for audience discussion from a Russian television program, "The Happy Hippo Show," developed by Shamil Fattakhov, a member of the Baha'i Faith who lives in Kazan, Russia. Support for People's Theater comes from foundations, schools and the City and District of Offenbach, along with a host of other organizations, companies and individuals, Mr. Diebel said. The performers are young people who volunteer to be a part of the program for a year, he said.

50.1055002

8.7610698

GENEVA

Switzerland

Amnesty International, US State Department call for release of Baha'i prisoners in Iran

Amnesty International, US State Department call for release of Baha'i prisoners in Iran GENEVA, Switzerland — In the wake of a US State Department call for Iran to release Baha'i prisoners, Amnesty International has issued an "urgent action" appeal on their behalf. The three prisoners were taken into custody in Shiraz, Iran, last November and are serving a four-year sentence on charges connected entirely with their belief and practice in the Baha'i Faith. "We urge the regime to release all individuals held without due process and a fair trial, including the three young Baha'i teachers being held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention center in Shiraz," said Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the State Department on 23 January 2008. Amnesty International issued its appeal on 25 January. It calls for human rights activists around the world to write directly to Iranian government officials on behalf of the Baha'i prisoners, asking why they have been detained and calling on authorities not to ill-treat or torture them. "Haleh Rouhi Jahromi, Raha Sabet Sarvestani and Sasan Taqva, all Baha'is (a religious minority), have been detained by the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz since 19 November 2007," states the appeal, which was posted on Amnesty International's Web site on 25 January 2008. "Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language," the appeal advises, "stating that Amnesty International would consider them to be prisoners of conscience if they are detained because of their Baha'i faith... calling for their release if they are not to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence and brought to trial promptly and fairly" and "calling on the authorities not to torture or ill-treat them..." The Amnesty International appeal recounts the story of the three prisoners, who were initially part of a group of 54 Baha'is who were arrested in May 2006 as they took part in an effort to educate underprivileged children in Shiraz. Most of the 54 were released after a few days, although Ms. Rouhi, Ms. Sabet and Mr. Taqva were held for about a month. Then, in August 2007, 53 of those arrested were notified by a local court that they were accused of "offenses relating to state security," according to the appeal. Sasan TaqvaMs. Rouhi, Ms. Sabet and Mr. Taqva, moreover, were sentenced to four years in prison, although they remained out on bail. Then, on 19 November 2007, the three were told by telephone to go to the Ministry of Information office in Shiraz to retrieve items that had been confiscated in the May 2006 arrests. Instead, they were incarcerated. "When they did not return home, family members who had accompanied them were given conflicting information by intelligence officials," says the appeal. "The officials tried to claim that the three had not entered the building, even though their relatives had seen them do so. Eventually, their relatives were informed that the three were still being held at the Office of the Ministry of Intelligence in Shiraz." The appeal lists the ages of the prisoners as follows: Ms. Rouhi, 29; Ms. Sabet, 33; and Mr. Taqva, 32. According to the AI Web site, urgent action appeals are transmitted to a network of more than 100,000 human rights activists in 70 countries. Diane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, said that the BIC is gravely concerned for the welfare of the three Baha'i prisoners. "We hope that the urgent action appeal from Amnesty International, as a signal from human rights defenders worldwide, and the US State Department's statement, will help resolve their unjust detentions," she said. Ms. Ala'i said the appeal was especially timely because Mr. Taqva has an injured leg, from an automobile accident before his imprisonment, which requires medical attention. "The problem with his leg is extremely serious and painful," said Ms. Ala'i. "It is understood that he requires surgery to remove a metal pin that had been inserted previously." Ms. Ala'i said that charges against the three, rather than involving any legitimate concern over "state security" stem entirely from accusations by the court that the Baha'is had been involved in the "indirect teaching" of the Baha'i Faith. "In fact," said Ms. Ala'i, "the three individuals were engaged in an effort to help underprivileged children in their city, through a program of training that emphasizes moral virtues. "It is mind-boggling that the government of Iran would consider such efforts to be any type of threat -- and wholly unwarranted that such activities should result in lengthy prison sentence. "There is no doubt that these three are prisoners of conscience, held solely because of their belief in and practice of the Baha'i Faith," said Ms. Ala'i. "We know this because among those arrested in May 2006 were some individuals who are not Baha'is. They were released within a day and have never faced charges." The US State Department statement also took note of the "death under suspicious circumstances" of Ebrahim Lotfallahi, an Iranian student of Kurdish descent detained by the Ministry of Intelligence on January 6. "We call on Iranian authorities to conduct a full investigation," said Mr. McCormack. His statement also expressed concern over the continued detention of three Amir Kabir University students. The Amnesty International appeal can be read in full at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/report/info/MDE13/017/2008 The US Department of State statement can be read at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/jan/99632.htm Read this story in Persian

46.2017559

6.1466014

CAIRO

Egypt

Egypt court upholds Baha'i plea in religious freedom cases

Egypt court upholds Baha'i plea in religious freedom cases CAIRO, Egypt — In a victory for religious freedom, a lower administrative court here today ruled in favor of two lawsuits that sought to resolve the government's contradictory policy on religious affiliation and identification papers. The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo upheld arguments made in two cases concerning Baha'is who have sought to restore their full citizenship rights by asking that they be allowed to leave the religious affiliation field blank on official documents. "Given the degree to which issues of religious freedom stand at the heart of human rights issues in the Middle East, the world should cheer at the decision in these two cases today," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "The compromise offered by the Baha'is in these two cases opens the door to a way to reconcile a government policy that was clearly incompatible with international law -- as well as common sense," said Ms. Dugal. "Our hope now is that the government will quickly implement the court's decision and allow Baha'is once again to enjoy the full rights of citizenship to which they are duly entitled," said Ms. Dugal. The decisions today concerned two cases, both filed by Baha'is, over the issue of how they are to be identified on government documents. The first case involves a lawsuit by the father of twin children, who is seeking to obtain proper birth certificates for them. The second concerns a college student, who needs a national identity card to re-enroll in university. The government requires all identification papers to list religious affiliation but restricts the choice to the three officially recognized religions -- Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Baha'is are thus unable to obtain identification papers because they refuse to lie about their religious affiliation. Without national identify cards -- or, as in the case of the twin children, birth certificates -- Baha'is and others caught in the law's contradictory requirements are deprived of a wide range of citizenship rights, such as access to employment, education, and medical and financial services. These problems were highlighted in a report issued in November by Human Rights Watch and the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). "Employers, both public and private, by law cannot hire someone without an ID, and academic institutions require IDs for admission," said the report. "Obtaining a marriage license or a passport requires a birth certificate; inheritance, pensions, and death benefits are contingent on death certificates. The Ministry of Health has even refused to provide immunizations to some Baha'i children because the Interior Ministry would not issue them birth certificates accurately listing their Baha'i religion." The issuance of birth certificates is at the heart of the first case, which concerns 14-year-old twins Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi. Their father, Rauf Hindi, obtained birth certificates that recognized their Baha'i affiliation when they were born. But new policies require computer generated certificates, and the computer system locks out any religious affiliation but the three officially recognized religions. And without birth certificates, the children are unable to enroll in school in Egypt. The second lawsuit was filed by the EIPR last February on behalf of 18-year-old Hussein Hosni Bakhit Abdel-Massih, who was suspended from the Suez Canal University's Higher Institute of Social Work in January 2006 due to his inability to obtain an identity card because of his refusal to falsely identify himself as either a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew. In both cases, lawyers representing the Baha'is have made it clear that they were willing to settle for cards or documents on which the religious affiliation field is left blank or filled in, perhaps, as "other." This solution is what makes these two cases different from the lawsuit that was rejected by the Supreme Administrative Court last year. In that ruling, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected a decision by the lower that upheld the right of Baha'is to be properly identified on government documents. For more information go to: https://news.bahai.org/story/595 and/or http://www.bahai.org/persecution/egypt

30.0443879

31.2357257

GENEVA

Switzerland

New tactic obstructs Baha'i enrollments in Iranian universities

New tactic obstructs Baha'i enrollments in Iranian universities GENEVA, Switzerland — More than a million students take Iran's national university entrance examination each year. So Halaku Rahmaniyan was extremely pleased when he learned he had placed 76th from the top. "I was happy, because I knew that it was a good result and that I could enter any subject in any university with that ranking," the 18-year-old student from Tehran wrote in a blog recently. He did not understand why, then, he still had not been accepted anywhere by December. So Mr. Rahmaniyan called the national Education Measurement and Evaluation Organization (EMEO), which administers the exam, and spoke with a top official. The official, too, was puzzled -- until Mr. Rahmaniyan said he was a Baha'i. "Suddenly, after the word 'Baha'i,' he discontinued the call," wrote Mr. Rahmaniyan. Then he received a letter from the EMEO. "Respectfully, in response to your request for the issuance of a certificate of ranking for the year 2007, we would like to inform you that owing to you having an incomplete file, issuance of a certificate of ranking is not possible," stated the letter. The story is one of many from Iran in recent months that highlight the latest tactic by the Iranian government in its long-running campaign to block Baha'is from access to higher education: to claim that their examination files are somehow "incomplete." Almost 800 of the more than 1,000 Baha'is who sat for and properly completed the entrance exam in June 2007 have received word that their files are "incomplete" -- thus preventing their enrollment. "These latest figures show that, despite its denials, the Iranian government is continuing its campaign to prevent Baha'is from going to university," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "The tactic of claiming that the examination files of Baha'i students are somehow 'incomplete' is yet another ruse by the government to act as if it respects human rights while covertly moving ahead with its persecution of Baha'is," said Ms. Ala'i, noting that none of the some 900 Baha'is who sat for the examination in 2006 received a notice of "incomplete files." For more than 25 years, Baha'is have been banned from public and private universities in Iran. After pressure from the United Nations, governments, and academic, educational and human rights organizations, the government indicated in 2004 that it would stop asking university applicants about their religious affiliation, which seemed to open the door to Baha'i enrollments. Each year since then, however, the government, which has been actively pursuing a campaign to identify all of the Baha'is in Iran and therefore is able to target Baha'i university students, has come up with some type of obstruction. For the 2006-2007 academic year, the main tactic used to deprive Baha'is of access to higher education was expulsions. As noted above, about 900 Baha'i students sat for the exam in June 2006. Nearly 500 passed and were listed as eligible to apply to university. Yet of the roughly 200 who ultimately managed to enroll in university in autumn 2006, the majority were gradually expelled over the course of the academic year. The students were expelled as their identity as Baha'is became known to university officials. That those expulsions reflect official government policy was confirmed in a confidential 2006 letter from Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology instructing Iranian universities to expel any student who is discovered to be a Baha'i. Baha'i students have been speaking out on blogs and in other forums. Nevertheless, the names have been withheld in the following accounts to protect their identity. In October, a male student from Hamadan, who was expelled last year, told how many Baha'i students wished to educate themselves in part to help advance the development of their country. "In order to better play our role in the reformation and distinction of this sacred land, we ask the respected officials to remove all obstacles for the entrance and continuation of the education of Baha'i students and lovers of knowledge at all universities in the country," he said. In February, a young woman wrote to a high official to ask why she had been suddenly expelled from Payame Noor University. "Of what crime have we been accused?" she asked. "After many years of yearning to receive a university education, I was ultimately given permission to enroll at a university this current year. Alas, I was expelled because of my religion after attending classes for a few weeks." As noted, for the 2007-2008 academic calendar, of the more than 1,000 students who sat for and properly completed the entrance examination, nearly 800 were excluded because of "incomplete files." Mr. Rahmaniyan learned of his high score from an Internet posting in the fall. "I ranked 54th in the regional quota and had come 76th nationwide," he wrote in a blog entry. "Soon after, I found out that most of the Baha'i youth of my age group, were not even permitted to see their exam results because of having what had been announced on the Internet as 'incomplete file,'" he wrote. "My joy turned into sorrow...." Ms. Ala'i noted that Mr. Rahmaniyan's case is not unusual. Many Baha'is this year, as in previous years, scored well on the national university entrance examination but were not allowed entry, even though other students with lower scores were allowed to enroll, she said. "The low percentage of Baha'is in university in Iran is not because of low test scores or poor academic achievement," said Ms. Ala'i. "It is simply because the government has sought by various means to block Baha'is from enrolling or staying in university." In 2004 and 2005, she said, the Baha'is were prevented from enrolling because the government sent back the examination papers with the word "Islam" printed in the data field for a prospective student's religion. That was unacceptable to Baha'is until it was clarified in 2006 and 2007 that that notation only meant the student had passed the exam's section on Islam, and did not indicate religious identity. "Despite repeated protests by Western academics, university officials, and college students in many countries, not to mention resolutions at the United Nations and efforts by human rights organizations, Iran has clearly continued its campaign to prevent Baha'is from gaining access to higher education, even while they claim that no such discrimination exists. "A serious effort by the government to end this injustice would be a first step towards showing the world its genuine commitment to international human rights standards and equal treatment of all its citizens regardless of their religious belief," said Ms. Ala'i.

46.2017559

6.1466014

GENEVA

Switzerland

Iranian Baha'is sentenced to prison were helping underprivileged youth

Iranian Baha'is sentenced to prison were helping underprivileged youth GENEVA, Switzerland — Accusations by the Iranian government that 54 Baha'is were engaged in anti-regime "propaganda" when they were arrested almost two years ago are patently false, the Baha'i International Community said today. In November, three of that group were re-arrested and imprisoned for four years. The others have reportedly been given suspended one-year sentences. "Far from working against the government, the Baha'is who were arrested in May 2006 were engaged in a humanitarian project aimed at helping underprivileged young people in the city of Shiraz," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "Charges by the government that suggest otherwise are nothing less than an attempt to repress Iranian Baha'is generally and to deflect international criticism of Iran's human rights record," she said. Concern over the status of the Baha'is sentenced in Shiraz was highlighted last week after an Iranian government spokesperson accused them of engaging in anti-government "propaganda," according to wire service reports. (While those reports put the total arrests at 54, Baha'i sources indicate that only 53 Baha'is were arrested in May 2006.) Class in Shahlabad, outside Shiraz, Iran.That charge of anti-regime propaganda came several days after the US State Department and Amnesty International expressed concern over the fact that three of the Baha'is arrested had been summarily imprisoned in November for terms of four years. According to Agence France-Presse, an Iranian judiciary spokesman, Ali Reza Jamshidi, confirmed the prison sentences for the three and also told reporters on 29 January that 51 others had received suspended one-year jail terms, conditional on their attendance of courses held by the state's Islamic Propaganda Organization. "The accounts emerging from Iran tell of a government that is desperate to justify its actions in the jailing of three innocent people by accusing them of teaching the Baha'i Faith, which is synonymous with 'anti-regime propaganda' in the government's twisted perspective, said Ms. Ala'i. "This is further evidenced by the requirement that the others attend re-education classes, which are clearly aimed at coercing them away from their religious beliefs. "While teaching the Baha'i Faith cannot be considered a crime of any sort, given that freedom of religion is protected by international law, the fact is that the Baha'is who were arrested almost two years ago in Shiraz were not working to spread Baha'i teachings -- rather they had initiated and were participating in a number of literacy and youth empowerment projects in various locations in and near Shiraz. "Moreover, the group had introduced the projects to the Islamic Council of the city of Shiraz in 2005 and had subsequently received a letter from the Cultural Commission granting permission to continue their activities," said Ms. Ala'i. Ms. Ala'i also discussed charges, made in court documents, that the use of a workbook titled "Breezes of Confirmation," which focuses on teaching language skills and basic moral principles, constitutes part of the evidence that Baha'is were teaching the Baha'i Faith. "The fact is," said Ms. Ala'i, " 'Breezes of Confirmation' makes no direct reference to the Baha'i Faith -- and its lessons reflect moral lessons common to all religions. "In view of the government's continued rebuff of international appeals for the immediate release of the three prisoners, it is important to provide a detailed account, so as to set the record straight," said Ms. Ala'i. The names of the three are Haleh Rouhi Jahromi, 29; Raha Sabet Sarvestani , 33; and Sasan Taqva, 32. Read an account of the development of the social service projects initiated by the Baha'i community of Shiraz. View a sample lesson from the workbook "Breezes of Confirmation"

46.2017559

6.1466014

NEW YORK

United States

Baha'i International Community issues statement on poverty eradication

Baha'i International Community issues statement on poverty eradication NEW YORK, United States — A new statement from the Baha'i International Community calls for a coherent, principle-based approach to the eradication of global poverty. BIC representatives introduced the statement, "Eradicating Poverty: Moving Forward as One," yesterday at a luncheon held at their offices across from the United Nations. About 40 representatives from various nongovernmental organizations and UN agencies gathered for the presentation. Tahirih Naylor, a Baha'i representative to the United Nations, said the statement was released to coincide with the 46th Commission for Social Development at the United Nations, which runs 6-15 February 2008. "This year, the commission is focusing on the themes of promoting full employment and decent work for all," said Ms. Naylor. "These are important aspects of poverty eradication, but we wanted to advocate a more coherent approach, one that looks at the wide range of issues that must be addressed in an integrated way if global poverty is to be eliminated." The statement calls on both institutions and individuals internationally to put essential moral principles, such as unity and justice, first. It recasts the underlying nature of poverty, saying it "can be described as the absence of those ethical, social and material resources needed to develop the moral, intellectual and social capacities of individuals, communities and institutions." The statement also examines a number of specific topical areas where poverty alleviation efforts can be most effectively focused. These include leadership and governance, human rights, gender, sustainable development, agriculture, employment, individual responsibility, education, and religion. Those gathered for the presentation were addressed by Nikhil Seth, from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and Julia Berger, senior researcher and writer for the Baha'i International Community. Mr. Seth said the statement's "key message is that solidarity of action is what we need. If we can galvanize that spirit, we'll have won the battle." Mr. Seth, who is director of the Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination at DESA, shared his experience in developing nations, including his native India, and recommended an additional focus on country-specific solutions. "Generic solutions are not sufficient," he said, noting that land issues and culture play strong roles. "A community-specific analysis is needed to tackle poverty." Mr. Seth also stressed the related problem of hunger. "The problem of malnourishment requires a whole different set of interventions," he said, saying that in his country more than 40 percent of children under 5 are malnourished. Mr. Seth also noted that international agencies sometimes place too much emphasis on measuring poverty rather than doing something about it. "Macroeconomic aggregates do not really capture the indignities of poverty the way your statement has done so beautifully," he said. Ms. Berger said that the issue of poverty is inextricably linked to other complex factors such as human rights, development, and environmental circumstances. It is a positive indication, she said, that the UN community is beginning to realize the interconnectedness of all these factors and focusing on ways to formulate an integrated approach. "Not to overstate the case, but the change in thought required to get to this point is like the Copernican revolution of recognizing that the earth revolves around the sun, and not the other way around," Ms. Berger said. Ms. Naylor said the statement was initially drafted in response to a call from the UN Human Rights Council for a consultation on "draft guiding principles" to help focus the discussion on the link between human rights and extreme poverty. As part of that process, the BIC contacted selected members of the Baha'i community around the world and asked them to organize discussions on poverty and human rights involving individuals from the local level. "These discussions took place in six countries – Brazil, Guyana, Haiti, India, Namibia and Turkey – and the consultations there provided first-hand experiences and impressions from individuals who are most affected by poverty." To read Eradicating Poverty: Moving Forward as One, click here. read this story in Persian

40.7127281

-74.0060152

HEIDELBERG

Germany

Building unity with community prayer

Building unity with community prayer HEIDELBERG, Germany — Twenty-five-year-old Andreas Rolle is in his final year of university, studying to become an elementary-school teacher. Like many students, he describes his daily life as "frenzied." But he has discovered a small island of peace in his schedule: a prayer meeting every two weeks hosted by five Baha'is, also students in Heidelberg, a university town of 150,000 people. "Going to these meetings helps me to refocus," said Mr. Rolle, a student at the Heidelberg University of Education. "I do not like missing even one." Others, students and nonstudents alike, have likewise found the gathering to be a refuge from the pressures of modern life. Dominick Muller, a music student at the Pop Academy, likes that "one consciously or deliberately comes to quietness and reflects about themselves." "Afterwards there is also the possibility to talk about these thoughts and reflections with the other people," said Mr. Muller, who describes himself as having no religious background. He said he likes thinking about issues in an environment removed from school and his other activities. The gatherings start with prayers, followed by conversation and reflection. Good food is also an attraction, the hosts say.Organizers of the meeting believe prayers create a special atmosphere. "I think they really help people," said Sarah Warner, one of the hosts. "Even if they don't realize it in the beginning, there will be an inner transformation, like being more attentive to spirituality in other people and in their own life." Nikolai Werner, another host, agreed. "It is the prayers that bring people together," he said. "Using the energy of the prayers we find new ways to see each other." The fact that the gatherings don't have an official religious leader - Baha'is do not have clergy - is another factor in the success of the gatherings, said Nassim Aiff, another of the organizers. "It makes the meeting very open," she said. "Everyone can contribute with their own idea. Also it can't really go wrong because there is no set of rules. If people like to talk about the things that were in the quotations, they can. They don't have to, though." The gatherings in Heidelberg are part of a global effort by the worldwide Baha'i community to host devotional gatherings in neighborhoods everywhere. There are now more than 17,000 such meetings, with hundreds of thousands of participants. About a dozen people gather every two weeks for this meeting in Heidelberg. "I think it is the atmosphere that attracts the people most," said Ms. Aiff. "And of course the good food. But mainly the atmosphere, having a chance to be completely themselves, not having to worry about what people might think about them." Chandriah Rama, a software engineer working for SAP in Heidelberg, said he enjoys the gatherings because they make him feel relaxed. "There is good meditation, and the meeting has very nice people," he said. Mr. Rolle said he never imagined that he could feel so comfortable in a group of people. "The devotional gathering makes us connect on more than just a religious level.... I love it all. The food, reflecting, being in a prayerful state, the moments being together, meditating, telling stories and laughing together." He said that what he finds most extraordinary is that although the gathering is organized by Baha'is, it is inspiring for others, too. "I believe that devotional meetings bring people together and form tighter bonds," he said. It is this type of response that encourages Baha'is in their belief that such meetings can help lay the foundation for peace. "Coming together to say prayers on a regular basis with friends and family will change the world," said Nassim Ghazanfari, another of the hosts. "That's why I'm doing it."

49.4093582

8.694724

NEW YORK

United States

Draft Iranian law threatens gross human rights violations

Draft Iranian law threatens gross human rights violations NEW YORK, United States — The Iranian Parliament is considering legislation that would institutionalize a series of gross human rights violations, affecting not only Baha'is but many others, even outside of Iran, the Baha'i International Community said today. Of greatest concern is a section that would mandate the death penalty for anyone who converts from Islam to another religion, a provision that would affect not only Baha'is but also Christians, Jews, and others. "This proposed law goes against all human rights norms and standards, including international treaties that Iran itself has agreed to," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. "It is important for the international community to speak out, now, before it is too late and the draft code becomes Iran's law of the land." The proposed law also would extend the government's reach over alleged security violations outside the country, give legal effect to discriminatory practices already in wide use against Baha'is and others, and redefine a series of "religious" and other crimes so vaguely as to place in jeopardy virtually any group facing government disapproval. "If adopted, the code will permit the government and the clergy to act with impunity against Iran's citizens on the sole basis of their religious affiliation," said Ms. Dugal. "This is not only an affront to the people of Iran; it is an offense to all who seek to uphold fundamental human rights." Ms. Dugal said the new section on religious conversion -- defined as apostasy -- is especially severe, in that its language mandates the death penalty for anyone who converts from Islam to another religion and does not immediately recant. "The text uses the word Hadd, meaning that it explicitly sets death as a fixed punishment that cannot be changed, reduced or annulled," said Ms. Dugal. "In the past, the death penalty has been handed down -- and also carried out -- in apostasy cases, but it has never before been set down in law. "The law also extends to naming as apostate any follower of a religion other than Islam who had one parent who was a Muslim at the time of his or her conception. Thus, for instance, the child of a Muslim and a Christian who chooses to adopt the Christian faith would be considered an apostate under the terms of the law and therefore subject to execution," Ms. Dugal said. Another troubling section of the proposed code would extend "security" laws outside the country, exposing those outside Iran to the government's reach. "Iran is apparently not content with targeting those it considers its opponents only within its borders," said Ms. Dugal, explaining that Article 112 of the proposed code refers to actions "against the government, the independence and the internal and external security of the country." "Since the notion of 'security' is not defined in the law, any action can be qualified as such," Ms. Dugal said. "Indeed, many Iranian Baha'is have been falsely accused of activities against the security of the state. "If the new penal code is adopted, Iranian Baha'is -- and others -- all over the world would likewise be liable for actions taken outside Iran that are considered contrary to Iran's security." The code's vagueness with respect to "offending the sacred" and other crimes would give the government free license to act against any group it disapproves of, said Ms. Dugal. "The code includes articles that refer to the commission of unspecified crimes or felonies, as well as articles referring to those guilty of 'corruption and mischief on the earth,'" she said. "It would also institute capital punishment for anyone who 'insults the Prophet,'" Ms. Dugal explained. "Such provisions place many groups, including Baha'is, in an extremely vulnerable position, since an 'insult' to the Prophet can be defined in almost any context, especially where religious belief is concerned." In related developments, the presidency of the European Union recently expressed "serious concern" over the "deteriorating situation" of the Baha'i community in Iran. "The EU expresses its serious concern at the worsening situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, in particular to the plight of the Baha'i," said the EU Presidency on 7 February 2008. "The EU is concerned about the ongoing systematic discrimination and harassment of Baha'is in Iran, including the expulsion of university and high school students, restrictions on employment and anti-Baha'i propaganda campaigns in the Iranian media."

40.7127281

-74.0060152

SOLANO

Philippines

Baha'is celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha and prepare for annual fast

Baha'is celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha and prepare for annual fast SOLANO, Philippines — Baha'i children love Ayyam-i-Ha because it's a special period of the year devoted to charity, hospitality, social events, and the giving of gifts. Because of the leap year, they have an extra day this year. Ayyam-i-Ha extends from Feb. 26 to March 1, so the added day of Feb. 29 comes during this time. In Solano, a town of 50,000 people north of Manila, the children are used to filling the period with family and community activities. A visit to a home for the elderly, an evening for public prayers, a day of fun in the park, singing for the inmates at a prison - these are typical activities, said Holly Celeste, a local Baha'i. "Basically during this period we focus on our children," she said. "This is usually done by friends and family coming together to do service-oriented activity with the children. The idea is for the children to come together and learn what fun being of service can be." Similarly, Baha'is around the world celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha with prayers and special activities, which are a prelude and preparation for the annual fasting period, March 2 to 20. Children in Solano, in the Philippines, enjoy music during last year's Ayyam-i-Ha festivities at the local Baha'i center."Ayyam-i-Ha" means literally the "Days of Ha" ("ha" is an Arabic letter), and in the Baha'i calendar they form the intercalary days that fill out the 365 or 366 days of the solar year. The Baha'i calendar consists of 19 months of 19 days each, giving 361 days, requiring the addition of four or five more days. The calendar was established by the Bab, the prophet who was the forerunner of the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah. But it was Baha'u'llah who specified that the Days of Ha should be inserted in the calendar just before the month of fasting. Baha'u'llah said of Ayyam-i-Ha: "It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name."

16.5180604

121.1806163

LOS ANGELES

United States

Baha'i fast "essentially a period of meditation and prayer"

Baha'i fast "essentially a period of meditation and prayer" LOS ANGELES, United States — Baha'is around the world will arise for prayers before sunup on March 2 as they begin their yearly fasting period – "an annual renewal of faith," says Emerson Boergadine, a young photographer in Los Angeles. "It's an invigoration, an annual cleansing," he said of the fast, which is a special time for prayer and also involves abstaining from food and drink between sunrise and sundown for 19 straight days. Members of the Baha'i Faith ages 15 to 70 observe the fast, which ends just before the Baha'i new year on March 21. Mr. Boergadine, who is 28 and will be observing the fast for the 14th time, said it helps a person focus on their essential spiritual nature. "While you are practicing detachment from the physical world, you are reminded of your attachment to the spiritual world," he said. Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Baha'i Faith from 1921 until his passing in 1957, described the fast in this way: "It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul." Lorenia De La Vega – a native of Mexico who grew up in the United States and is currently working in Spain as a translator – joined the Baha'i Faith last October and will be observing the fast for the first time. "Everyone that I've spoken with says that the fast is one of the most incredible experiences you can have," said Ms. De La Vega, who is 25. "I am really looking forward to it. They say that it is an incredible time of personal growth. The phrase that I've heard everyone saying is you're cleansed of everything else except prayer and that your senses feel alive." It is the focus on prayer that she particularly is looking forward to. "Prayer is one of the most important things in my life," she said. "I used to think that it was just something to do to calm yourself down. But I've had amazing experiences with prayer ever since I became a Baha'i."

34.0536909

-118.242766

UNITED NATIONS

United States

Equality of women and men can improve economic performance, says economist

Equality of women and men can improve economic performance, says economist UNITED NATIONS, United States — Equality between the sexes can have a real world economic effect, potentially improving the economic performance of nations and corporations. That was among the ideas offered by noted economist Augusto Lopez-Claros, speaking yesterday at the United Nations on behalf of the Baha'i International Community. Addressing the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women at a High-Level Roundtable on "Financing for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women," Dr. Lopez-Claros noted that a number of studies have shown a close connection between national economic performance and the degree to which women are integrated into a national economy. "The efficient operation of our increasingly knowledge-based economy is not only a function of adequate levels of available finance, a reasonably open trade regime for goods and services, but, more and more, is also dependent on our ability to tap into a society's reservoir of talents and skills," said Dr. Lopez-Claros, director of the Global Competitiveness Report 2006/2007 at the World Economic Forum. "When, because of tradition, a misunderstanding of the purpose of religion, social taboos or plain prejudices, half (the) ... population is prevented from making its contribution to the life of a nation, the economy will suffer." Two representatives of the Baha'i International Community addressed a High-Level Roundtable on "Financing for Gender Equality" at the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women on 25 February 2008.Dr. Lopez-Claros was one of some 40 Baha'i delegates to the meeting of the commission, which runs this year from 25 February to 7 March. Also addressing yesterday's High Level Roundtable was Fulya Vekiloglu, co-chair of the Working Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, who is also a representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. She urged the commission to make a greater effort to promote social policies that protect, empower, and "invest in" girls at the national and local levels. "Investments in girls have amazing cascading benefits," said Ms. Vekiloglu, speaking in her role as co-chair of the NGO Working Group on Girls. "When girls are healthy, well-educated and empowered to contribute to their families and societies, we all benefit." She also urged the commission to promote policies that would help provide better data about women and girls. "In too many places and at too many times, girls continue to be invisible, lumped together with women by some and with children by others," said Ms. Vekiloglu. "Gender equality and women's empowerment cannot be accomplished unless we adopt a life-cycle approach to this critical issue. Unless we ensure the visibility of girls, we can never guarantee women's rights." Other members of the Baha'i delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women include Zarin Hainsworth, president of UNIFEM in her native Britain; Mehr Afhasi, who works with UNIFEM in Sweden; Shama Pande of Nepal, who works with USAID in the area of NGO funding; Forough Olinga of Uganda and Nalina Jiwnani of India, who represent the Baha'i offices for the advancement of women in their countries; and Sovaida Ma'ani Ewing, a lawyer whose most recent service was with the Legal Advisor's Office of the U.S. State Department and who is the author of "Collective Security Within Reach," published last month. Other Baha'i delegates come from Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Germany, Hawaii, Japan, Malawi, Puerto Rico, and Switzerland. A statement by the Baha'i International Community - addressed to the current session of the Commission on the Status of Women - is titled "Mobilizing Institutional, Legal and Cultural Resources to Achieve Gender Equality." It can be found at: http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/bic-statements/08-0201.htm. To read more about Baha'i activities at the Commission on the Status of Women, visit the BIC homepage at http://bic.org/.

ATHERTON

QUEENSLAND

Australia

In the Queensland outback, 'Fari's Day' means fresh produce

In the Queensland outback, 'Fari's Day' means fresh produce ATHERTON, QUEENSLAND, Australia — Fariborz Rameshfar operates what must be one of the longest fruit and vegetable runs in the world – every two weeks a 2,000-kilometer trek through the outback of Queensland, delivering produce to people with scant access to this type of fresh food. And he has been doing it for 18 years. His customers – on cattle stations, in isolated settlements, in small towns – call the day he arrives "Fari's Day." His 13-ton, refrigerated truck carries up to eight tons of cargo – fresh lettuce, potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, onions, and apples, along with milk, cheese, bread, processed meat, and newspapers. He'll also transport special orders for people who ask. Mr. Rameshfar, 57, has made a decent living from the business but says he probably could do equally well if he stayed home near Atherton and did his work there. Fariborz Rameshfar likes mixing with the people as he stands by his truck, selling fruits and vegetables in small settlements and towns and on big ranches in the Australian outback.The fact is, he likes providing a unique service. "What inspires me to keep on doing this job is my faith as a Baha'i," he said. "I want to be of service ... and this way I can serve by bringing fruit and vegetables to where they are desperately needed." Four decades earlier, a similar kind of motivation had spurred him to leave his native Iran and head to Africa to help with Baha'i projects. When it proved impossible to get into university there, he came to Melbourne, on the southern coast of Australia. That was in 1973. He met his wife, Ivy, in Melbourne and in 1983, shortly after their marriage, they decided to move to north Queensland, giving up a comfortable lifestyle near family and friends to help in the development of Baha'i community in the Atherton Tablelands. There they have raised their daughters, Saphira and Nikka. Atherton is in a tropical area of Australia, on a mountainous plain that offers extremely fertile land for farming – thus the idea for a business built around fresh produce. His run takes him south and west, down off the Tablelands to the normally dry outback, although recent heavy rains have broken a decade-long drought, with overflowing creeks causing him unusual delays. He says the traveling has brought many rewards, including seeing nature at its finest. "There are kangaroos and emus and seasonal birds, especially the thousands of budgerigars who sit on the power lines making the whole thing green," he said. "The wildflowers are amazing, too." But the best thing is the friendships. "I know everybody and everybody knows me," he says. (Article and photographs provided by the Australian Baha'i News Service.)

-17.2674058

145.4761663

NEW DELHI

India

In the shadow of the lotus, peace and calm prevail

In the shadow of the lotus, peace and calm prevail NEW DELHI, India — Every day, the people come. Thousands of them. At times it's a constant stream of humanity. Eight thousand people a day, 10,000, sometimes 15,000. On holidays 30,000, even 50,000. And once, 150,000. Yet everyone is calm, orderly, sometimes waiting in line to leave their shoes in a hidden checkroom and climb the stairs to the building they call the Lotus Temple. Inside, the mood is one of serenity. Considering the vast numbers of people who make their way around the property, the peacefulness perhaps is surprising. "We are impressed - the discipline," said Ramesh Cheruku, who with his wife and young son had come from Hyderabad in the south of India for their first visit to the Baha'i House of Worship, located in the capital city of New Delhi. With more than 4.6 million visitors last year, the temple is one of the most popular spots on earth, in a league with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and not far behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Many of the visitors are from India, but people come from all over the world. They are Hindus, Christians, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and, of course, Baha'is. There are families, couples, single people, schoolchildren, tour groups. Many come to see a stunning piece of architecture - and stunning it is. Still, their behavior suggests something more. "Peace of mind," murmured Reeta Singhai when asked how she felt after her first walk through the temple, whose outward form is like a lotus flower. It has 27 "petals," arranged in threes so that the structure has nine sides, just like the other six Baha'i houses of worship around the world. It is exactly this feeling of peace that the public relations director, Shatrughun Jiwnani, mentioned as he pondered the question about what appeals to visitors, most of whom are inside the temple only a few minutes. Baha’i youth come from around the world to volunteer their service as guides at the House of Worship."They suddenly find themselves in a place that is quiet," he said. They pause "and maybe for a few moments look inside themselves." "You can almost start to hear your own thoughts," agreed Sarang Joshi. A native of India now living in the United States, he was impressed by what he called the "spiritual nature of the building." In brief Day to day at the temple The Baha'i House of Worship in India is open to the public every day except Monday. Holidays are popular times for visiting. Entry is free of charge. The property is operated solely with funds provided through the voluntary contributions of Baha'is around the world. Shaheen Javid, general manager of the temple, said there are about 100 paid workers, some of whom are Baha'is or have become Baha'is since working there. There are also about 40 Baha'i volunteers, virtually all of them young people who, at their own expense, come for a few months to serve as guides or helpers. Last year, volunteers came from about 70 countries. They stay on the premises in a dormitory-like facility built for the purpose. The Information Center Visitors to the House of Worship may request a pamphlet explaining the basic teachings and history of the Baha'i Faith, but otherwise - unless they ask to go to the nearby Information Center - there is no particular attempt to teach them about the religion. "You come and experience the place, and if you have the curiosity, you ask," said Shatrughun Jiwnani, the public relations director. "One of the principles of the Baha'i Faith is the individual investigation of truth. People have to find out for themselves." The Information Center provides extensive displays about Baha'i history, teachings, and sacred writings, as well as information about social and economic programs in various parts of the world. Films in both Hindi and English are screened at regular intervals. Visitors may fill out an optional card requesting more information or asking how to join the Baha'i Faith. A number of visitors have asked to take part in Baha'i study circles or sign up their sons and daughters for children's classes or youth groups. Such gatherings are held in many locations throughout New Delhi and India, including on Sundays at the temple property itself. The auditorium at the Information Center is sometimes used for special events, including a series called "One Ocean: Celebrating Unity Through the Arts." The series offers performances of music and dance, often from other countries and often sponsored by a foreign embassy or international group. Construction of the temple The temple site was purchased in 1953 and covers 26 acres. Construction on the House of Worship began in April 1980, and the temple opened to the public on 1 January 1987. The cost of construction was about $10 million, with all funds coming from Baha'is in India and around the world. The architect was Fariborz Sahba of Canada, who was also the project manager for construction. The temple has been the subject of hundreds of articles in publications around the world, and has received the following honors: Award for excellence in religious art and architecture from the International Federation for Religious Art and Architecture. 1987. Award for structural design from the Institute of Structural Engineers of the United Kingdom. The citation honors Mr. Sahba "for producing a building so emulating the beauty of a flower and so striking in its visual impact." 1988. From the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, its international award for the excellence of the temple's outdoor illumination. 1988. From the American Concrete Institute, award for a finely built concrete structure. 1990. From GlobArt Academy of Vienna, Austria, GlobArt Academy 2000 award in recognition of "the magnitude of the service of (this) Taj Mahal of the 20th century in promoting the unity and harmony of people of all nations, religions and social strata, to an extent unsurpassed by any other architectural monument worldwide." 2000. Other Baha'i houses of worship The Baha'i House of Worship in India is one of seven Baha'i temples in the world. The others are located in Australia, Germany, Panama, Samoa, Uganda, and the United States. Baha'is refer to the individual temples as a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, an Arabic term meaning the "dawning place of the mention of God." For general information about Baha'i houses of worship, including a photo gallery, go to www.bahai.org/faq/community_life/temples. "It's really interesting how that's captured by the architecture," he said. Mr. Jiwnani said most people stay inside for only a few minutes, but such a visit can still be meaningful. "Maybe two hours of quiet at home means nothing, whereas two minutes in the temple can move you," he suggested, noting that there are many people who visit frequently. "People like it that there are no sermons or lectures here. They are able to bring their own religion and sit and pray or meditate." India - with 1.1 billion people the second most populous nation in the world - is a country rich in religious tradition. More than 80 percent of the people are Hindus, with Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, the Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Judaism, and others also represented. All Baha'i houses of worship are built for people of all religions to worship to God, reflecting the belief that the different religions come from the same God and in fact represent unfolding chapters in one divine reality. It is envisioned that in the future, such Baha'i temples will be the center of a group of facilities, including, for example, hospitals, educational and scientific institutions, perhaps a home for the aged. (A few visitors have heard this and promptly called to see if they could get on the list for such a home. Shaheen Javid, the general manager of the House of Worship, says he must tell them that it is a vision for the future but there are no actual plans yet for the auxiliary institutions.) Inside the temple Inside the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi, the main indoor space is called the Prayer Hall and has seating for 1,300 people. On most days, there are readings for five or six minutes each hour - from Baha'i, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian holy writings. Visitors are briefed before they enter, partly about what they will not see. There are no statues, no photographs of major Baha'i figures, no altar, no representations of Hindu gods, of Buddha or of Jesus. This fact disappoints some of the visitors. Seven-year-old Akhil Rekulapelli, on holiday from the United States with his family, was a bit perplexed. "I thought there would be gods there," he said. The simplicity of the interior is striking, highlighting the beautiful lines of the arches, the different textures of the materials, the design and height of the dome. Millions of visitors have walked through the building since it opened 21 years ago, but the temple still seems fresh, unsullied. Some would say uplifting, spiritual. Around the periphery, in simple lettering in both Hindi and English, are quotations from the writings of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, about the nature of life and religion. "Wert thou to speed through the immensity of space and traverse the expanse of heaven, yet thou wouldst find no rest save in submission to Our command and humbleness before Our Face," reads one of them. "Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants," says another. Baha'is believe that Baha'u'llah is the most recent in a line of Divine Messengers that includes Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, and the Bab, all of whom came to teach the unfolding plan of God for humanity. Visitors to the House of Worship are told that it is dedicated to the oneness of God, the oneness of humanity, and the oneness of religion - beliefs at the heart of the teachings of Baha'u'llah. "The purpose of the Baha'i House of Worship is to remind the people that we are one human family created by the one true God - we should come to this place and forget our differences," said Mr. Jiwnani. The lotus Mr. Jiwnani thinks that most people do go away from the temple with a sense of the place and what it stands for. "It ends up being a spiritual experience, although that is not why most people come," he said. "People understand that the House of Worship stands for respect for all the faiths." In India, the fact that the temple is shaped like a lotus flower is significant, he noted, explaining that Asian religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrian - all have special associations with the lotus flower. The lotus represents purity, and since the flower is often found in dirty and stagnant water, the symbolism of a pure human spirit rising above the dross to its true station is especially meaningful, Mr. Jiwnani said. "The House of Worship is not designed in any traditional religious architecture," he continued. "It has a universal shape, so everyone feels welcome." Fariborz Sahba of Canada, the architect for the temple, said he chose the lotus shape precisely because of its myriad spiritual connotations. "The lotus represents the Manifestation of God, and is also a symbol of purity and tenderness," he has said in published comments. "Its significance is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the Indians." Mr. Jiwnani said people sometimes ask about similarities between the Baha'i House of Worship in New Delhi and the Sydney Opera House in Australia, which opened in 1973, some 14 years before the Baha'i temple. The concept of each building is different, he said: The Baha'i temple was inspired by the shape of a lotus flower and is round; the opera house is meant to suggest sails on a ship, "billowing" in one direction. Construction methods also were different, Mr. Jiwnani noted. The temple and the Baha'is India has more than a million Baha'is, the largest number of any country in the world, but there is no question that the temple has increased awareness of the religion, said A.K. Merchant, one of the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India. "It has given us an identity," he said of the House of Worship. "Now we need to teach what the inspiration behind the building was."

28.6138954

77.2090057

LONDON

United Kingdom

Dean of Westminster Abbey highlights need for unity

Dean of Westminster Abbey highlights need for unity LONDON, England — A passage from the Baha'i teachings about the relationship between human beings and the environment was read as part of the 2008 observance of Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey. "The Environment - Our Future" was the theme of this year's program, held on 10 March in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, head of the Commonwealth; Prince Philip; and representatives of all 53 nations of the Commonwealth and of the major religions. In opening remarks, the Very Rev. Dr. John Hall, dean of Westminster, talked about the need for unity among people. "As human beings we are too ready to think of what divides us rather than what unites us," he said. "Commonwealth Day is an opportunity to concentrate on how we are united: as human beings; as citizens of the Commonwealth; as inhabitants of one world; as children of one heavenly Father, each one made and loved by God and precious in His sight." In her Commonwealth Day message, Queen Elizabeth observed that all actions that help protect the environment can "have a real and positive effect on the lives of others." "It is important to remember that the environmental choices available in some countries may not be an option for others," she noted. "In some parts of the world, for example, fossil fuels can be used more sparingly and buildings can be made of more efficient, sustainable materials; but it is far harder to expect someone to adapt if he or she relies on the trees of a local forest for fuel, shelter and livelihood. If we recognize the interests and needs of the people who are most affected, we can work with them to bring about lasting change." Representatives of the United Kingdom's nine major religions read passages from their faith traditions on the subject of the environment. The secretary for external affairs of the UK Baha'i community, Robert Weinberg, read a combination of two extracts of letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, for the Baha'i contribution to the program. "We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it," he read. "We need a change of heart, a reframing of all our conceptions and a new orientation of our activities. The inward life of man as well as his outward environment have to be reshaped if human salvation is to be secured." The colorful program included music and dance from various Commonwealth countries, including an African children's choir, an extract from Joseph Haydn's oratorio, "The Creation," sung by New Zealand-born soprano Madeleine Pierard, and an exuberant performance by the London-based Maori cultural group Ngati Ranana.

51.5073219

-0.1276474

EUREKA

New Zealand

Baha'is celebrate new year

Baha'is celebrate new year EUREKA, New Zealand — Baha'is celebrated their new year today with programs and festivities in thousands of localities around the globe. New Zealand Baha'is were among the first to mark Naw Ruz - literally "new day" - because their nation lies just west of the international dateline. In the Waikato region, Baha'is and their friends from the whole area gathered for an international dinner in Eureka, a small rural settlement in the dairying heartland of the country. Sandra and Babak Paymani began the tradition last year on their three-acre property, pitching a marquee festooned for the occasion in their garden. "Naw Ruz is all about getting together and celebrating with friends, neighbors and work colleagues," Mr. Paymani said. The smorgasbord ranged from Persian cuisine to lamb cooked Tongan style in an umu, or underground oven, by local Baha'i Melini Taufalele. Mr. Taufalele, who said he learned the method of cooking as a child growing up in Tonga, described an umu as being similar to a Maori hangi where food is cooked using super heated rocks buried in a pit oven. "With an umu we leave the rocks in the pit and only remove the embers to prevent smoking the food. It's an easy way of cooking for large numbers of people." Melini said preparing an umu was a social affair. "Everyone can join in. It's a real family thing." Melini Taufalele and Geoff Jervis uncover the umu, the underground oven used for their Naw Ruz dinner in Eureka, a small rural settlement in New Zealand.The Waikato Baha'i community is geographically widespread. A region of lush green hills, bush and farmland, with exceptional surf on the West coast, the area has the scenic Waikato River winding through its landscapes and intersecting the regional hub of Hamilton, one of New Zealand's larger cities. Dairy farming is the backbone of the local economy. Elsewhere in the country, some 150 young people were able to celebrate together in Christchurch because the annual New Zealand Baha'i Youth Conference happened to be planned for this weekend. "This will be the first time the national youth conference will be taking place over Naw Ruz," said Rebeccah Hindin-Miller, a university student in Christchurch. The youth celebrated with dance performances, music, food, and prayers. The Baha'i calendar, which today begins the year 165, has 19 months of 19 days each, with intercalary days added to reach the 365 or 366 days of the solar year. Naw Ruz comes at the end of the Baha'i month of fasting, a special period of prayer and meditation during which Baha'is abstain from eating and drinking between sunup and sundown.

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175.4267686

HO CHI MINH CITY

Vietnam

Vietnamese Baha'is reach milestone with election of National Spiritual Assembly

Vietnamese Baha'is reach milestone with election of National Spiritual Assembly HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — The Baha'is of Vietnam have reached a historic milestone with the election - for the first time in many years - of a national Baha'i administrative body in that nation. The Baha'i Faith is established in virtually every country of the world, and in most nations the Baha'is each year elect a National Spiritual Assembly of nine individuals to administer their affairs and guide the community. In Vietnam, the Baha'i national convention and election held 20-21 March were the first since the unification of North and South Vietnam in 1975. "This is important because it was the first time in 33 years that the government had approved that such a gathering could take place," said Joan Lincoln, a special emissary of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith. Mrs. Lincoln traveled from the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, to Ho Chi Minh City for the occasion. "It was a deeply moving affair," she continued. "I was told that a number of the Baha'is hadn't seen one another in many years." Preparations for the convention, including drafting the charter for the Baha'i governing body in Vietnam, were undertaken in consultation with the government, which sent three representatives to observe the election. The voting took place at the small Baha'i Center in Ho Chi Minh City on the first day of the convention, followed the next day by a consultative session in a much larger hall that had been decorated with flowers of congratulation sent by various government and police agencies. More than 20 officials from the central, provincial and district governments attended the session, which was highlighted by the adoption by the Baha'is of the new charter. Documents now will be submitted to the government for the next stage in the official recognition of the Baha'i Faith in Vietnam. An emissary of the Universal House of Justice, Mrs. Joan Lincoln, pays a courtesy call to the vice chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City at the seat of government there.A number of people attending the activities had joined the Baha'i Faith in the 1950s and 1960s and had remained firm in the religion despite the years of restrictions on certain activities. "The high point for me," Mrs. Lincoln said, "was seeing the Baha'is from all over Vietnam, the north, the central, and the south, who had been so steadfast for over three decades, remaining obedient to the government and to the Universal House of Justice and waiting patiently until they could re-establish their activities fully. "It was thrilling to see the delegates greet one another, and that the older believers had been able to bring up their children as Baha'is, and to see so many young couples with their own children - the third generation of Baha'is - at the convention." A particularly emotional moment, Mrs. Lincoln said, was the announcement of the results of the election of the National Spiritual Assembly. Among the nine members are Baha'is both young and old, from different areas of Vietnam. Mrs. Lincoln expressed appreciation for government gestures toward the Baha'is. "They had taken many measures to show their support," she said, noting that representatives from the government-run press and television attended some of the activities and reported on them. "The warm relations between the new National Spiritual Assembly and the government were impressive to me," she said. She also mentioned the Baha'i youth and "how present in the organization of the convention they were - saying the prayers, singing passages from the Baha'i writings, manning the computers, handling the logistics, the food, the microphones, raising the spirit ... doing all the things that youth do." As part of the convention, Mrs. Lincoln presented to the government of Vietnam a gift from the Universal House of Justice consisting of a framed, color facsimile of two of the personal seals of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith. Nguyen Thanh Xuan, vice chairman of the Government Committee on Religion, accepted the gift, and also gave the Baha'is a framed portrait of Ho Chi Minh. Mrs. Lincoln earlier had paid a courtesy visit to a government office in Ho Chi Minh City where gifts also were exchanged. During the convention, a special message from the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of Vietnam was read. "The Baha'i Community of Vietnam is regaining ground on a trail that leads to a constructive future," the message said, in part. "In restoring your National Spiritual Assembly, with the gratefully acknowledged support of your national government, you now enter upon a period of dynamic development of far-reaching virtue and influence." On the night of 20 March, more than 200 Baha'is and friends from around the country joined in a new year's celebration, followed the next morning by the convention session with some 300 people in attendance. They were the largest gatherings of Vietnamese Baha'is in three decades. Special guests for the historic convention and the new year's celebration, included, in addition to Mrs. Lincoln, representatives of the Baha'i communities of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, and Thailand, and Mr. Jaya Gopan Ramasamy of Malaysia, representing the Baha'i Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia. For the Baha'is of Vietnam, restoration of their National Spiritual Assembly represents a key achievement in the process to gain official recognition from the government. A major step was taken a year ago when authorities issued a certificate recognizing Baha'i activities. The Baha'i Faith was established in Vietnam in 1954. In 1957 Baha'is there joined with a number of other countries in southeast Asia to form a Regional Spiritual Assembly, and in 1964 the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Vietnam was formed. (Note: On 7 April 2008, additional attendance figures were added to the fourth paragraph from the end.)

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106.6983801

NEW YORK

United States

Connection between racism and mass atrocities addressed by panel

Connection between racism and mass atrocities addressed by panel NEW YORK, United States — The relationship between racism and mass atrocities was the focus of a panel discussion co-sponsored by the Baha'i International Community to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. "Genocide is not a natural disaster," said Payam Akhavan, an associate professor of law at McGill University, whose appearance was sponsored by the Baha'is. "It is a man-made disaster, an instrument through which ruthless leaders exercise power at the expense of millions." Professor Akhavan and eight others spoke on 27 March 2008 at the Church Center at United Nations Plaza in New York. The event was titled "Eliminate Racism: Prevent Mass Atrocities." Craig Mokhiber of the U.N. human rights office in New York had a somber assessment: "The struggle against racism is unfortunately not on the forward path many of us thought it was on a decade ago." Racism is a global phenomenon, he said, made worse by impunity for the perpetrators of atrocities committed under its influence. The concept of "the other" is what perpetuates racism, he said. Mr. Mokhiber suggested that racism is the result of "us," plus "the other," added to an unequal power structure and hatred inflamed by politicians and the media. "Defeating this paradigm is the central struggle against racism today," he said. The Dutch ambassador to the United Nations, Piet de Klerk, agreed that racism is alive in many forms and that making a connection between racism and atrocities is "very appropriate." Reducing individuals to representatives of specific groups makes it easy to perpetrate mass atrocities, he said. Among the others who spoke at the event were Raymond O. Wolfe, the Jamaican ambassador to the United Nations; Yvette Rugasaguhunga, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan massacre; and Mark Weitzman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The discussion was moderated by Tahirih Naylor, a representative to the United Nations of the Baha'i International Community. Payam Akhavan of McGill University said governments sometimes turn a blind eye to events that lead up to atrocities against groups of people.In his remarks, Professor Akhavan said that in some respects genocide is predictable and therefore preventable. "There is a long process of cynicism and indifference which in the end erupts into genocide," he said. Too often, he said, "governments turn a blind eye on the road to genocide. No member state (of the U.N.) will send troops without a pressing national interest. We have to stop thinking the cavalry is going to come. It's not." Still, he said, there are success stories. In Macedonia, the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers saved lives in the conflict between the Slavs and the Albanians, he noted. And in Africa, the Burundi Leadership Training Program initiated dialogue between opposing camps. "This simple but timely initiative (may) have prevented mass killings in Burundi," Professor Akhavan said. Bringing to justice the perpetrators of atrocity is vital, he said, because impunity sends the message that crime does pay. "We have to make sure that those governments which have spoken in such lofty terms about the ICC (International Criminal Court) begin to deliver on their promises," said Professor Akhavan. A survivor's story Yvette Rugasaguhunga, now an investment banking analyst in New York, told how in Rwanda at the age of 14 she watched her older brother hacked to death by a group of men with machetes. A Tutsi, she survived by masquerading as a Hutu and taking precarious shelter in enemy territory. She described life with one of the people there: "He would come home at night covered with blood from killing Tutsis all day, but would be sweet to me because he thought I was not one of them. ... He never would have been nice to me if he knew I was Tutsi." Durban Declaration Mr. Mokhiber of the U.N. human rights office said the Durban Declaration from the 2001 World Conference Against Racism recognized the need to "remember the crimes of the past and tell the truth about history." Ambassador de Klerk of the Netherlands said his government was taking measures to put into action several of the goals of the Durban Declaration, including creation of an Equal Treatment Commission, a National Action Plan, and other efforts to create an infrastructure for combating racism at all levels of society. On an international level, he noted the Fundamental Rights Agency, the Council of Europe, and the work of the International Criminal Court at The Hague. He also cited the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) movement which provides a more preventive approach to racial discrimination. Briefly ... -- Mr. Weitzman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center gave a presentation of what he termed "digital terrorism" - computer games with hateful intentions and graphic brutality. "The combination of technology and terror is the greatest danger the world today faces," he said. -- The U.N. ambassador from Jamaica, Raymond Wolfe, reported that to date, US$80,000 has been contributed by 17 countries to erect a memorial at the United Nations to victims of slavery - a monument to honor their memory and also serve as a reminder. -- The panel discussion marked not only the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which falls on 21 March each year, but also the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which is observed on 25 March. The discussion was also part of a series of dialogues on human rights in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The discussion was sponsored by the Sub-Committee for the Elimination of Racism of the NGO Committee on Human Rights at the United Nations, in cooperation with the Dutch and Jamaican U.N. missions and the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In addition to the Baha'i International Community, co-sponsors were the American Psychological Association, the Church of the Brethren-On Earth Peace Agency, Franciscans International, the International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the International Union of Anthropological & Ethnological Sciences, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the International Council of Women.

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HAIFA

Israel

Baha'is to elect Universal House of Justice

Baha'is to elect Universal House of Justice HAIFA, Israel — A global election process that began with people in 100,000 cities and villages around the world will culminate on 29 April when delegates gather here to elect the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. Representatives of some 170 nations will cast ballots for the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, which has its seat at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. The election is held every five years. Bahá’í elections are distinctive in that there are no nominations, no campaigning, and no discussion about which individuals should be elected. The delegates to the International Bahá’í Convention – members of all the Bahá’í national governing bodies around the world – vote by secret ballot for the nine people they believe best suited for membership on the supreme institution of their Faith. The Bahá’í writings state that voters should try to choose people “of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.” For Bahá’ís, the Universal House of Justice is the highest religious authority. It guides the worldwide Bahá’í community in its development and in its response to changing world conditions, provides for Bahá’í pilgrimage, holds in trust and maintains the Bahá’í holy places, and administers international Bahá’í funds. Any male age 21 and over is eligible for election to the Universal House of Justice. Both women and men serve on all other Bahá’í institutions—international, continental, national and local. The election process began well over a year ago when Bahá’ís in some 100,000 localities around the world began meeting in district conventions to elect delegates to their own national conventions. At those gatherings, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of each country is elected. The members of those national councils gather as electors at the global level for the International Bahá’í Convention, to be held from 29 April to 2 May in Haifa. About 1,200 delegates are expected to attend the convention. Those unable to attend send ballots by mail. The establishment of the institution of the Universal House of Justice was called for by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.

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34.9983856

AUCKLAND

New Zealand

New Zealand Police support race unity initiative

New Zealand Police support race unity initiative AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The New Zealand Police, a government department, has signed a formal funding agreement with the Baha’is for a speech contest for teenagers about race unity. The Race Unity Speech Award, now in its eighth year, was established by Bahá’ís and already had received the support of the national Human Rights Commission. The nationwide contest is open to students in the last three years of high school. The New Zealand Police has pledged NZ$50,000 (US$39,500) over a five-year period and also is supporting the competition in a variety of other ways at both the regional and national levels. “The NZ Police is committed to reducing both the incidence and the effects of crime. We see this Baha’i initiative as a valuable tool to reducing crime through supporting youth to improve race relations,” said Superintendent Pieri Munro, commander of the Wellington Police District. The topic for this year’s competition was “Finding Common Ground - He Rapunga Tahitanga,” with presentations allowed in either English or Maori. Contestants were asked to comment on the following quotation: “We belong to an organic unit (the world) and when one part of the organism suffers, all the rest of the body will feel its consequences.” Students from throughout New Zealand compete in regional heats. This year, 17 contestants advanced to the national semifinals, and six to the finals, held 5 April at a national conference at the Bahá’í Community Center in Auckland City. The winner was Charon Maseka from Taita College in Wellington, who shares the first-place prize money – NZ$1,500 (US$1,185) – with her school. Funds from sponsors are used for prizes, travel costs for entrants competing in the finals, venue hire, and shields given to winners. Dr. Rajen Prasad, former Race Relations Conciliator and currently Chief Families Commissioner for the government, led the six-member judging panel this year. “I have been involved with the Race Unity Speech Award since its inception,” Dr. Prasad said. “Quite apart from the quality of the entries and the confidence displayed by the young participants, this contest enables some serious examination of race relations by young people. They often come up with thoughtful analysis and many sound ideas for accepting and celebrating difference. In my view, this contest ought to receive widespread support, and every school should be encouraged to participate.” Here is the opening of the eight-minute speech given by this year’s winner: “Dear Racial Harassment: “I am writing this letter to inform you that our relationship is officially done. You are no longer a citizen of my heart. For too long I have battled in my mind your voice versus humanity. You were everywhere with me, at the workshop, school, church, the hotel and even at the ballot box. “What a deception! You made me hate color, so that I could spread your violence. You lived deep, deep, deep within me so that only ethnicity would rule. You’re still so hot and heavy that everybody wants to ride in your Chevy, fully pumped, with hatred, inequality and cruelty. You’ve brought an avalanche of condemnation, a mockery against the struggle. “So, here I am returning all of your gifts, and rejecting all your myths. I confess I am no longer impressed. Boom boom boom, this heart beats to the rhythm of humanity. So, in case you forgot, our relationship is officially done.” Besides Dr. Prasad, judges included representatives of the Human Rights Commission, the Speech Communications Association, and the New Zealand Police.

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174.7631803

HAIFA

Israel

Leaving after many years of service in the Holy Land

Leaving after many years of service in the Holy Land HAIFA, Israel — Two members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith, are leaving after many years of service in the Holy Land. The Universal House of Justice announced in November 2007 that it had given permission to Mr. Hartmut Grossmann and Mr. Glenford E. Mitchell to relinquish their membership, but they will continue serving until the next election of the body, scheduled for next week. Mr. Mitchell was first elected as a member of the Universal House of Justice in 1982 and after that to successive five-year terms. Mr. Grossmann was elected in 2003. The Seat of the Universal House of Justice is located at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa. All nine members of the Universal House of Justice are elected at the International Baha'i Convention, which is held every five years. The 10th such convention is scheduled for 29 April to 2 May in Haifa, with an expected attendance of more than 1,000 delegates. Mr. Mitchell, 73, was born in Jamaica and has worked in the United States as an assistant editorial director for a publishing company, a magazine editor and a managing editor. He taught English and journalism at Howard University. He served as the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States from 1968 until his 1982 election to the Universal House of Justice. He and his wife, Bahia, will be returning to the United States. Mr. Grossmann, 74, who was born in Germany, was a lecturer and head of the German Department of the Translators' Training Institute at Joensuu University in Savonlima, Finland. He has served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'is of Germany and of Finland and was a member of the Baha'i Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe. In 1988, he was appointed to serve on the Baha'i International Teaching Centre in Haifa. He and his wife, Ursula, will be moving to Finland when they leave Haifa next month.

32.8191218

34.9983856

LONDON

United Kingdom

Young Baha'is address UK parliamentarians on human rights

Young Baha'is address UK parliamentarians on human rights LONDON, England — Four young people offered their view of human rights at a reception this week in the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament. The reception is an annual event hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha'is. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United Kingdom used this year’s reception to announce a program of activities planned to mark the 60th anniversary next December of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of the messages presented by Ruth Banda, Jenna Nicholas and Collis Tahzib, all members of the Baha’i Faith, and their friend Lavina Hassasing, was that there is a difference between the principle of human rights and the reality of human rights. Jenna Nicholas, 18, addresses the reception in the UK Parliament. Photograph: Andisheh Eslamboli."As the ideals of human rights become more mainstream, we hope that our generation can play its part to fulfil the promise of dignity and equality for all," Miss Nicholas, 18, told the 100-strong audience, which included members of Parliament and the House of Lords, and representatives of the media, various faith communities, and nongovernmental organizations. "As young citizens at the beginning of a new century, my friends and I have reflected on what the values enshrined in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights mean to us today in a world much more connected than it was in 1948," she said. "As a young Baha'i, I recognize in the two key concepts of equal rights and dignity, the secular expression of the ideas I acknowledge within my faith." "I was born in the country of Zambia," Miss Hassasing, 20, told the guests, "and across my home country and indeed the African continent, social and economic rights are fundamental to the ability of people in exercising civil and political rights. Without an education, it is more difficult to participate meaningfully in political processes.… Many girls are denied the opportunity to an education. In many families, particularly in rural areas, parents opt to educate their male children while they prepare the female children for marriage." Miss Banda, also 20, who studied with Miss Hassasing in Zambia, added: "Having had the opportunity to go to an international school that promotes education (for girls), we hope to help others realize what they as human beings are entitled to." "The record of some states in guaranteeing rights for their own citizens remains ultimately woefully inadequate and lamentably defective," said Collis Tahzib, who is 15. "It falls to our generation to realize the promise of human rights." In a special message to the reception, held on 22 April, Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote: "I would like to express my respect and admiration to those attending this reception, and the wider Baha'i community which makes an important contribution to British life. "The Baha'i community has a long, proud and respected tradition and contributes much to today's Britain," wrote Mr. Brown, "Your faith includes a clear obligation to work towards religious tolerance and respect for other faiths, an aim shared by both myself and a wide range of different communities across Britain. "The Baha'i community can be proud of its success in working to foster cohesive and integrated communities." The All Party Friends of the Baha'is group was formed in 1999. It is open to members of Parliament from across the political spectrum. Group members offer motions and Parliamentary Questions and speak in debates on issues concerning Iran, Egypt and human rights. Members have also taken other actions including writing private letters to ministers and to the Iranian embassy. The chairman of the All Party group, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament Lembit Opik, assured the guests of the All Party group's commitment to continue acting on behalf of Baha'is in various parts of the world.

51.5073219

-0.1276474

HAIFA

Israel

Delegates arrive in Haifa for International Bahá'í Convention

Delegates arrive in Haifa for International Bahá'í Convention HAIFA, Israel — A thousand delegates from 153 countries have arrived – from the southern tip of Africa, to Siberia, to the Americas, to remote Pacific islands – to participate in the 10th International Bahá’í Convention. On Tuesday, 29 April, they will gather to elect the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, a task that delegates view as both a sacred duty and a supreme privilege. “I’ve been preparing myself since November, when I got the ballot,” said Bakary Bojang, 31, a delegate from Gambia. “I give praise that I have the opportunity and the health to be here.” The convention, held every five years, runs from 29 April to 2 May at the Haifa International Convention Center. In addition to the election, it will include consultation on issues and concerns facing the worldwide Baha’i community. The delegates are all members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of their countries, elected councils that oversee Baha’i activity in a particular jurisdiction. The balloting process to elect the Universal House of Justice is unlike any other election system in the world. “There are no nominations and no campaigning,” said Erica Toussaint, 61, a delegate from the United States. “Rather, each elector writes down the names of nine people they feel are the most qualified to serve. Delegates from Uzbekistan to the Baha'i International Convention visit the Baha'i holy places and gardens on Mount Carmel within hours of their arrival in Haifa on 26 April.“The process is free from the constraints that I’ve seen in other electoral processes around the world, which for me makes it very profound and moving,” she said. Preparing for the four-day convention presented a number of logistical hurdles, said Anja Nicke, project manager of the International Convention Office. “One of the biggest challenges was just communications with National Spiritual Assemblies,” said Ms. Nicke, 35, who was a schoolteacher before coming to the Bahá’í World Centre as a volunteer in September 2004. “For us, it is a simple matter to send an e-mail or make a telephone call,” she said. “But some National Assemblies are in countries that are torn by war or poverty, and such types of communications are not always so easy.” In one case, she said, a National Assembly was out of contact for two weeks because someone had stolen the wires that connected them to the Internet and telephone system. For delegates, the importance of prayer was foremost in their minds as they discussed how they would prepare themselves for voting. “We have many things to pray for,” said Francis Reimers, 65, from the Marshall Islands, explaining the process by which he decides who to vote for. “I come and I mix with people and I pray about who I am going to vote for and I try to reflect on the people I know.” The Baha’i writings say that in all Bahá’í elections, which take place annually at the local and national levels and every five years internationally, the emphasis is on choosing individuals with qualities “of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.” Thelma Khelghati, a delegate from Guinea, said Bahá’í elections differ from traditional electoral systems where “aggressive, ambitious individuals with influence and financial means, or at least the ability to mobilize financial means, end up being the ones we elect.” Rather, she said, Bahá’í elections are a “spiritual process where the delegates or voters reflect on the demonstrated qualities and experience of all whom they know, and then vote for those whom they feel best combine the needed qualities for a given post.” Lise Raben, a delegate from Denmark who has participated in five international Baha’i conventions, said the entire process is a great experience. “The feeling of unity is very strong when you see hundreds of people gathered to elect our supreme institution that governs the Bahá’í world. The feeling of love and unity makes an International Convention very special and absolutely different from political elections, where the different candidates often try to exhibit their opposites in a bad light.” The Universal House of Justice has its permanent seat on Mount Carmel in Haifa. Situated in the Akka/Haifa area are many holy sites of the Baha’i Faith, including its holiest, the burial place of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the religion. The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It guides the worldwide Bahá’í community in its development and in its response to changing world conditions.

32.8191218

34.9983856

HAIFA

Israel

Bahá’í World News Service launches new Web site

Bahá’í World News Service launches new Web site HAIFA, Israel — The Bahá’í World News Service has launched a new Web site that includes an expanded home page and a section designed to meet the needs of journalists. The address remains the same – www.news.bahai.org. The section for media representatives includes brief descriptions of the Bahá’í Faith and its beliefs and history; a list of Houses of Worship; a style guide with spellings and definitions of names and terms; photos for downloading; and contact information. All the pages for BWNS news, features, photos, slide shows, and video have been redesigned. The makeover is the first stage in a plan to redo all the sections on www.bahai.org, the international Web site of the Bahá’í Faith. The new home page for that site also appears today. Also, nine countries have been added to a page that provides links to Web sites and contact information for many of the national Bahá’í communities around the world. The goal is to have a link for every country. All the Web sites are maintained by the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa.

32.8191218

34.9983856

ACRE

Israel

Convention delegates pray at holy places

Convention delegates pray at holy places ACRE, Israel — Less than a kilometer outside this fortified medieval city in northern Israel is a whitewashed mansion, surrounded by elaborate gardens, known as Bahji. For Bahá’ís, it is the holiest place on earth. Beneath one of the buildings in the garden, the earthly remains of Bahá’u’lláh were laid to rest in 1892 – and today that structure is known as the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. It is understandable, then, that delegates arriving from 153 countries for the 10th International Bahá’í Convention are streaming to Bahji as part of the process to prepare themselves for tomorrow’s election of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. “We came out Saturday night, on the last bus, at 11 p.m.” said Bahia Ettehadieh, 53, a delegate from Austria, “and it was amazing to see so many friends still here at midnight. “They had come from the remotest places on earth, and many had been traveling for 24 hours or more, very tired, but they were so full of spirit and happiness,” she said. The Bahá’í writings offer explicit instructions about how Bahá’í elections are to be conducted – and the first and foremost prerequisite is that they be held in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection. Delegates from Cameroon walk toward the Shrine of Baha'u'llah at Bahji, near Acre.The 1,000 some delegates gathered here followed those instructions by visiting not only Bahji but many of the other Bahá’í holy sites in the Acre-Haifa area in northern Israel. Deshon Fox of the Bahamas visited the House of Abbud in Acre Sunday morning. It was there, in 1873, that Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Kitab-i-Aqdas, “the Most Holy Book,” which outlines the main principles and laws of the Bahá’í Faith. “Ultimately, what Baha’is get out of the experience of going to these holy places is a centering,” said Mr. Fox, a young civil engineer who like other delegates is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís in his home nation. “We all take away a little of that experience into the election process. It reminds us of the sacrifice others have gone through for the Faith,” he said. Polin Rafat of Norway was deeply moved after visiting the prison cell in Acre where Bahá’u’lláh was incarcerated for two years after His arrival in the holy land in 1868. “Bahá’u’lláh suffered in that cell so that we could stand here today in this beauty and prepare to elect the House of Justice,” said Ms. Rafat, referring to the beauty of the gardens at Bahji and elsewhere in the Acre-Haifa area that Bahá’ís have since adorned their holy places with. For some of the delegates, it was their first time in the holy land – and they were overwhelmed. “I was in seventh heaven,” Agim Kotoni, 56, of Albania, said after his visit to Bahji. “I was looking so much forward to seeing something like this, and Bahá’u’lláh has fulfilled my wish.” For Mr. Kotoni and others, an added feature of the experience was visiting the shrines and holy places in the presence such a diversity of Bahá’ís from all parts of the world. “The Bahá’ís in my city, it is like we are a family,” said Mr. Kotoni, who is a police officer in Kabaja. “But now, here, I see that we are also a single family all over the world. “Everyone you meet, it is not like I am meeting them for the first time – it’s like I have known them for years,” he said. “They offer so much love and respect and spirituality. I am uplifted and full of emotions.” Hilda Abelinti, 41, of Suriname, was likewise struck by the sense of community she felt with other Bahá’ís from around the globe. “Every time I meet a new person, I believe more what Bahá’u’lláh says – that we are ‘one people,’” she said. “Everyone may speak a different language, but we all believe the same thing – we try to do what Bahá’u’lláh teaches – to live in unity and respect.” Tomorrow, delegates will assemble in the Haifa International Convention Center to cast votes for the nine members of the Universal House of Justice. They will use a unique electoral process that does not allow campaigning and uses no nominations. Instead, each delegate will write down nine names – the names of those individuals who they feel are best qualified to guide the worldwide Bahá’í community for the next five years.

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HAIFA

Israel

In a global procession, ballots are cast for the Universal House of Justice

In a global procession, ballots are cast for the Universal House of Justice HAIFA, Israel — In a ceremony that combined spiritual dignity with global diversity, a thousand Bahá’ís from 153 countries cast ballots today in an election to choose the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. For nearly three hours, delegates to the 10th International Bahá’í Convention filed decorously, one by one, onto a majestically adorned stage, each dropping a ballot into a simple wooden box. The votes will be tallied overnight and the results announced here tomorrow. The event was a study in globalism, a hallmark of the Bahá’í Faith, which has some five million followers and is established in virtually every nation. Delegates were called by name, in alphabetical order by country. Many proudly wore traditional or native dress, an acknowledgment of their belief in the concept of unity in diversity. The result was colorful and joyous, as women in bright ethnic dresses or simple pantsuits mixed with men in Western business suits or gaily decorated tribal costumes. The balloting process began with prayers, followed by brief remarks from Penny Walker, chairman of the convention. “We gather together here with hearts full of excitement at the achievements of the Bahá’í world in the last year, and with hearts full of gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh for making it possible that this extraordinary assembly of His followers, from every corner of the earth, could come together in the Holy Land, to elect the Universal House of Justice, the supreme body of our Faith,” said Dr. Walker. Dr. Walker, who holds the position of International Counsellor in the Bahá’í Faith, outlined the voting procedure, in which the delegates write down the names of nine men they feel are most qualified to serve on the Universal House of Justice. “As you know, the Bahá’í electoral process is finally spiritual in character, a unique feature of our divinely ordained administration,” she said. “Let us remember the words of Shoghi Effendi, which urged us to approach this task of election with selflessness and detachment, … ‘with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart.’” The delegates to the convention are the members of the Bahá’í National Spiritual Assemblies of the world, who were themselves elected by delegates chosen at the grassroots level in their own countries. Thus virtually every adult Bahá’í in the world had the opportunity to participate in the election of their supreme body, an event that occurs every five years. About 500 of the 1494 delegates could not be present for voting, for personal or other reasons. Those who could not attend sent ballots by mail, and there were numerous pauses in the procession as tellers brought forward absentee ballots, removed an identifying outer envelope, and dropped the inner contents into the ballot box. Members of 166 National Spiritual Assemblies submitted ballots, with 153 countries represented in person at the convention. Delegates from Canada are pictured here.In the case of Iran, where 300,000 Bahá’ís face intense persecution and Bahá’í administration has been outlawed, the absence of delegates was noted by the placement of 95 red roses at the front of the stage and the reading of a message from Iranian Bahá’ís. “Even though circumstances deprive us of the bounty of attending this luminous gathering, we are nonetheless with you in spirit, and present to you this bouquet of flowers as a token of our love and affection,” the message said. The nature of Bahá’í elections Today’s balloting reflected a unique election process that emphasizes qualifications over promises, and inclusiveness over money or other barriers to office. There are no parties or platforms, all forms of campaigning are strictly avoided, and no nominations are made. Rather, after prayer and reflection, each delegate simply writes down the names of nine individuals who he or she feels are best qualified to serve. These instructions are followed in all Bahá’í elections, guided by the statement in the Bahá’í writings that electors should vote for people who posses qualities “of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.” At the local and national levels, any adult Bahá’í is eligible for election. For the Universal House of Justice, any adult male Bahá’í from anywhere in the world is eligible for election. Membership is limited to men because of a specific stipulation in the Bahá’í sacred writings, the wisdom of which will become clear in the future. While some observers have asked how it is possible to manage an election without parties, campaigning or nominations, Bahá’ís believe their system helps protect against divisiveness and such things as vote-mongering, campaign debts, or factionalism. “Because there is no nomination process -- there are no ‘candidates’ per se -- and therefore no campaign,” said Susanne Tamas, a delegate from Canada. “As a result, there is no opportunity for individuals to be encouraging others to vote for them, whether by magnifying their own qualities or finding fault with other candidates. “Underlying this whole process is reliance on prayer and efforts of the delegates to keep themselves informed of the activities of the Bahá’í community worldwide,” she said. Ballot integrity During the voting, a number of procedures were taken to ensure the integrity of the balloting process – some of which were visible and others less so. Foremost, the current Universal House of Justice was seated as a body, front and center, as obvious observers to the process. Then, as vote casting began, the ballot box was tipped towards the assembled delegates, to show that it was empty. And when the voting was completed, it was sealed with tape bearing the signature of the chief teller, Thelma Khelghati, a delegate from Guinea. Ms. Khelghati was assisted by three other tellers on stage, who carefully checked voters and absentee ballots against a master list of delegates and observed to be sure that ballots were carefully placed in the box. There were 19 tellers plus the chief head teller and an assistant, and the names of all were announced. They had been selected by the Universal House of Justice, receiving notification of their role upon arrival in Haifa. “The tellers come from all parts of the world, from different backgrounds, so they are there to witness and vouch for the process,” said Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani, the ballot officer for the convention. This year, delegates from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Guinea, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vanuatu, and Zambia were selected as tellers. The tellers will be sequestered in a counting room at the Seat of the Universal House of Justice until the ballots are counted and cross-checked, a process that in some past years has taken well beyond midnight. “The electoral process actually began last year, with the election of the National Spiritual Assemblies, … when the process of verifying those names began,” said Ms. Ma’ani. Members of those national councils serve as delegates to the International Convention. “Then, when the ballots come in by mail, every name is checked against a database to be sure that the person sending the ballot is indeed a member of the National Spiritual Assembly,” she said. The ballots themselves are sheets of paper printed with blank rectangular fields for nine names (and another field for the country or other identifying term as may be needed). The ballots are perforated between each name, and once in the counting room, the tellers separate each ballot into nine strips, yielding more than 13,000 individual votes. The tellers work in teams of two, said Ms. Ma’ani, under the supervision of the head tellers, cross checking and then sorting the paper strips into a series of alphabetized boxes to complete the tally. “The process is completely manual,” said Ms. Ma’ani. “There is no doubt.” No one leaves until the counting is done. Meals, as necessary, are brought in once the ballot box is unsealed. When finished, the tellers all sign the results and they are presented to the Universal House of Justice for approval.

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ACRE

Israel

Baha'is celebrate most important festival at most holy site

Baha'is celebrate most important festival at most holy site ACRE, Israel — Followers of Bahá’u’lláh from more than 150 countries gathered yesterday at what for them is the holiest spot on earth – the tomb of Bahá’u’lláh – to celebrate Ridván, their most important festival. This year’s celebration at Bahjí, outside Acre in northern Israel, was special because it came during the 10th International Bahá’í Convention, currently under way in nearby Haifa. A thousand delegates from around the world – a true representation of the global community of five million Bahá’ís – joined with nearly a thousand other Bahá’ís for a program of prayers and readings and to circumambulate together the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. With 2,000 people in attendance, the stream of Bahá’ís making their way through the beautiful gardens of Bahjí stretched more than half a kilometer as they walked together around the sacred tomb, where in 1892 the earthly remains of Bahá’u’lláh were laid to rest. The nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, led the procession. Many of the convention delegates came in distinctive native dress, highlighting the diversity and international character of the Bahá’í community. Many delegates wore their native dress -- from Western business suits to the colorful garb of specific regions of South America, Africa, and Asia.Gerda Haug, a delegate from Germany who was participating in such an event for the first time, said circumambulating the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh with Bahá’ís from around the world was a memorable experience. “It was a symbol to me,” she said, “not just something spiritual but more than that: We were all walking together in one direction, devoted to what Bahá’u’lláh taught, guided by the Universal House of Justice – it was a great moment.” Ridván – Arabic for “paradise” – is a 12-day festival commemorating the 12 days in 1863 that Bahá’u’lláh spent in the Garden of Ridván in Baghdad. It was during that period that He announced publicly for the first time that He was God’s Messenger for this age, the latest in a line of divine teachers that includes Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, and others. The Festival of Ridván goes from 21 April to 2 May, and the first, ninth, and 12th days of the period are marked as specific holy days. Yesterday’s commemoration was for the ninth day of Ridván.

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HAIFA

Israel

Baha'is elect Universal House of Justice

Baha'is elect Universal House of Justice HAIFA, Israel — The results of the election of the nine members of the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baha’i Faith, have been announced. Delegates to the Tenth International Baha’i Convention cast ballots yesterday for membership in the council that serves as the head of the religion. Those elected are Farzam Arbab, Kiser Barnes, Peter Khan, Hooper Dunbar, Firaydoun Javaheri, Paul Lample, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, and Gustavo Correa. Members are elected for five-year terms. The Universal House of Justice has its permanent seat at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Membership requires residence in Haifa. Any Baha’i male age 21 and over is eligible for election. Both women and men are eligible for election or appointment to all other Baha’i institutions. In His teachings, Baha’u’llah provided for the elected institution of the Universal House of Justice, which gives a continuing source of divine authority to guide the worldwide Baha’i community and to legislate on matters not spelled out in the Baha’i sacred writings. The delegates that voted in the election are themselves members of national Baha’i governing bodies from around the world. They were chosen in earlier elections in their own countries. The Baha’i Faith, which has more than 5 million followers, is established in almost every nation.

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HAIFA

Israel

Systematic training initiative showing results, say convention delegates

Systematic training initiative showing results, say convention delegates HAIFA, Israel — There is a new wind blowing in the Bahá’í world. That message came through loud and clear in three days of consultations at the 10th International Bahá’í Convention. Delegates from 153 countries described how a systematic, grassroots process of community-building -- focused on training, learning and service -- is creating a new dynamism in Bahá’í communities worldwide and striking a chord in wider society. On the convention floor and in the hallways, delegates talked about how the emphasis on service to humanity through four core activities – children’s classes, devotional meetings, study circles, and programs for young teens – is starting to yield results in country after country. In India, for example, more than 80,000 people have completed a study circle based on material from the Ruhi Institute in Colombia, and some 6,000 people have advanced to the seventh book in the same series of material. As a consequence, said Nazneen Rowhani, a delegate from India, many people have become interested in the Bahá’í Faith, and thousands have become Bahá’ís since last May. “So India’s challenge has been how to mobilize a substantial percentage of these new believers into the field of service,” said Ms. Rowhani. Reports from other countries described similar degrees of success at both energizing Bahá’ís and reaching out to others – all with the ultimate goal of addressing the ills that afflict humanity. Classes for both adults and children that focus on service to others are increasingly attracting participants, delegates reported.-- In Colombia, in an area known as Norte del Cauca, the number of people involved in core activities has risen dramatically since 2005, when a cyclical campaign to inspire more involvement was begun. Hundreds of young teens have participated in the junior youth empowerment program, and a thousand have attended devotional gatherings. There are about a hundred neighborhood children’s classes. As a result of this increased activity, said Carmen Caldas Hernandez, the number of Bahá’ís has doubled. “Our reflection gatherings have become like a party, like a feast, where we celebrate the achievements of the previous cycle,” said Ms. Hernandez, describing the atmosphere at periodic Bahá’í meetings to assess the progress of core activities. -- In Kenya, since January 2005, the number of people who have completed Ruhi Book 7 in an area known as Tiriki West has risen sharply and the number in children’s classes has reached more than 1,000. -- In Brazil, an effort to reach out to young teens around Porto Alegre now has hundreds of participants. Such classes for “junior youth” do not teach the Bahá’í Faith but rather focus on improving literacy and thinking and articulation skills, and encouraging better moral choices – all designed to “empower” young people. The classes have been so successful, said Katherine Monajjem, a delegate from Brazil, that some local public school officials have embraced them as a model. “One school supervisor was so impressed that, although she is a Baptist, she asked that her young son be trained in the program,” said Ms. Monajjem. Such reports were echoed, often on a smaller scale, by delegates from countries where Bahá’í communites have also begun more intensive outreach efforts. “What we’re seeing are the fruits of a worldwide education process that is trying to empower the Bahá’í community with the skills that it needs to enrich their own community and also carry the message of Bahá’u’lláh to others,” said Joan Lincoln, a Counsellor at the International Teaching Centre at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa. She is involved in monitoring many of these efforts. “What Bahá’í children’s classes have to offer is character development,” she said. “What junior youth programs have to offer is assistance to young people trying to find their place in a very chaotic world.” The situation in the world at large was very much on the minds of the some 1,000 delegates at the convention. In addition to the mechanics of systematized study and outreach, delegates discussed wider topics relating to the deteriorating social conditions in the world, from the crisis in moral education to the impact of HIV/AIDs in Africa. In particular, many delegates responded passionately to a letter from the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, that discussed the new dynamism in Bahá’í communities worldwide and said its impact on wider society will only come to the degree that Bahá’ís live lives of high morality and “champion the cause of justice.” “Sustaining growth … will depend on the qualities that distinguish your service to the peoples of the world,” said the message, released as part of the Festival of Ridvan observed by Bahá’ís at this time every year. “So free must be your thoughts and actions of any trace of prejudice – racial, religious, economic, national, tribal, class, or cultural – that even the stranger sees in you loving friends. “So high must be your standard of excellence and so pure and chaste your lives that the moral influence you exert penetrates the consciousness of the wider community,” said the message. Muin Afnani, a delegate from the United States, like others, observed that the essential teachings of the Bahá’í Faith emphasize the importance of service to humanity at large. “When we look at the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, we see that service meant serving the poor and people of all classes, all ranks,” said Dr. Afnani. “The core activities of the plan are really bringing us back to a focus on serving the people.” Gregory Dahl, a delegate from Bulgaria, explained that the new emphasis on a few core activities, along with a systematic process of learning and reflection, is indeed aimed at building up the Bahá’í community’s capacity for such service. “The whole orientation of the Bahá’í Faith is service to humankind, and we can do that better if we can do that systematically,” said Mr. Dahl.

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HAIFA

Israel

The faces of the Bahá'í world

The faces of the Bahá'í world HAIFA, Israel — Experiencing the diversity of the human family can be humbling, as Bahá’ís attending their recent international convention learned. One can meet an industrialist from Italy, a civil engineer from Barbados, and a presidential advisor from South Africa – but realize that a 25-year-old student from South America is equally impressive with her knowledge of how to organize classes for children and youth. Or discover that the Ph.D. who works with the international research agency speaks two languages, but the woman who owns a small business in Cameroon speaks five. A thousand delegates from more than 150 countries came to Haifa for the 10th International Bahá’í Convention, and at least some participants say the diversity was unprecedented. Gregory C. Dahl, who formerly worked at the International Monetary Fund and has attended many U.N.-related meetings, had never seen anything like it. “This is easily the most diverse gathering of people on the planet,” he said of the convention. He compared it to a U.N. meeting but said the diversity at the Baha’i gathering came not just from the different nationalities but from the backgrounds of the participants. Dr. Ibrahim Amoussa was a delegate from Gabon. Each country was represented by the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of that nation.“At the United Nations, there are representatives from many countries, but not from so many different social, economic, and professional classes,” said Mr. Dahl, who attended the Baha’i convention as a delegate from Bulgaria. He noted that the others from Bulgaria included someone who works for a coal-mining company, another employed by an insurance company, a musician, and a secretary. The purpose of the Bahá’í convention, held every five years, is to elect the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. Delegates also consult about their experiences and concerns. The nine delegates from each nation are themselves the elected members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of their country. Alan Smith of the Virgin Islands was attending his sixth International Bahá’í Convention and said he noticed a difference this year. “It’s feeling far more international,” he said, attributing the change not to additional countries but to more diverse groups of delegates from within each country. Among the delegates from Russia, for example, were two ethnic Russians; one Russian with Estonian ancestry; two individuals of Buryat-Mongolian ethnicity from Eastern Siberia; a Tatar, whose family background is Muslim; an Osetin woman from the Caucasus; and an American-born man descended from Russian Jews who is married to a Russian and lives in Siberia. From the United States came a federal judge, a psychologist, a medical doctor, a corporate retirement plan manager, and an administrator who works with health-care issues for Native Americans. Some are white, some are black, and one is American Indian of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Sicangu Lakota. From Albania came a police officer, a lawyer, a teacher, a secretary, some from the northern part of the country, some from the south. From Venezuela came “younger” and “older” – three of the delegates were 25 years old, and two were in their 60s or older. Daniel Woodard, an engineering student from Caracas, said he realized at the convention that not only is the Bahá’í community diverse but that it truly encompasses the whole world. He was even more heartened by the unified spirit, as Bahá’ís and others work together to create a better world. “Despite the fact that there are now many of us, and we are so diverse, nobody is being left behind,” he said of the people he saw. “We are so intertwined that as we move forward, if someone falters or has difficulties, they will be sustained and helped by the others.” More about the delegates to the International Bahá’í Convention: The oldest delegate, from Niger, was 82. The youngest was a woman from Belarus who turned 21 last August and was elected to her National Assembly in a by-election in November. (The minimum age for election is 21.) Delegates came from almost everywhere, from Greenland in the north to Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand in the south; from Kiribati just west of the international date line, around the world to Samoa just east of the date line. Those remote islands were balanced by delegates from the world’s great cities – London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Buenos Aires. Twelve delegates were 25 years old or younger. English was the main language, and most participants apparently were comfortable with it because only about 320 participants requested earphones to listen to translation to Spanish, French, or Russian. (Convention organizers also noted that a small handful of people might not have been able to manage any of the four official languages and required one-on-one help with translation.) More than 40 percent of the convention delegates were women.

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NEW YORK

United States

Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran; pattern matches deadly sweeps of early 1980s

Six Bahá'í leaders arrested in Iran; pattern matches deadly sweeps of early 1980s NEW YORK, United States — Six Bahá’í leaders in Iran were arrested and taken to the notorious Evin prison yesterday in a sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Bahá’í leaders were summarily rounded up and killed. The six men and women, all members of the national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Bahá’ís in Iran, were in their homes Wednesday morning when government intelligence agents entered and spent up to five hours searching each home, before taking them away. The seventh member of the national coordinating group was arrested in early March in Mashhad after being summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence office there on an ostensibly trivial matter. “We protest in the strongest terms the arrests of our fellow Bahá'ís in Iran,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations. “Their only crime is their practice of the Bahá’í Faith.” “Especially disturbing is how this latest sweep recalls the wholesale arrest or abduction of the members of two national Iranian Bahá’í governing councils in the early 1980s -- which led to the disappearance or execution of 17 individuals,” she said. “The early morning raids on the homes of these prominent Bahá’ís were well coordinated, and it is clear they represent a high-level effort to strike again at the Bahá’ís and to intimidate the Iranian Bahá’í community at large,” said Ms. Dugal. Arrested yesterday were: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All live in Tehran. Mrs. Kamalabadi, Mr. Khanjani, and Mr. Tavakkoli have been previously arrested and then released after periods ranging from five days to four months. Arrested in Mashhad on 5 March 2008 was Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, who also resides in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was summoned to Mashhad by the Ministry of Intelligence, ostensibly on the grounds that she was required to answer questions related to the burial of an individual in the Bahá’í cemetery in that city. On 21 August 1980, all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran were abducted and disappeared without a trace. It is certain that they were killed. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran was reconstituted soon after that but was again ravaged by the execution of eight of its members on 27 December 1981. A number of members of local Bahá’í governing councils, known as local Spiritual Assemblies, were also arrested and executed in the early 1980s, before an international outcry forced the government to slow its execution of Bahá’ís. Since 1979, more than 200 Bahá’ís have been killed or executed in Iran, although none have been executed since 1998. In 1983, the government outlawed all formal Bahá’í administrative institutions and the Iranian Bahá’í community responded by disbanding its National Spiritual Assembly, which is an elected governing council, along with some 400 local level elected governing councils. Bahá'ís throughout Iran also suspended nearly all of their regular organizational activity. The informal national-level coordinating group, known as the Friends, was established with the knowledge of the government to help cope with the diverse needs of Iran’s 300,000-member Bahá’í community, which is the country’s largest religious minority. Read this story in Persian

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UNITED NATIONS

United States

Bahá’í-inspired development program highlighted at U.N. meeting

Bahá’í-inspired development program highlighted at U.N. meeting UNITED NATIONS, United States — A Bahá’í-inspired program that has trained thousands of people in Honduras and Colombia to contribute to rural development was highlighted as a model for sustainable development at a major U.N. meeting this month. The program, known as SAT -- an acronym for Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (Tutorial Learning System) -- was presented in a three-hour workshop during the 16th session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development, held 5-16 May at U.N. headquarters in New York. The Bahá’í International Community also sponsored two side events at this year’s session of the commission – a panel discussion on “The Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change: Implications for Africa’s Agricultural and Rural Development” and another titled “Sustainable Development Without Rural Women?” Nineteen Bahá’ís from nine countries attended this year’s commission as civil-society participants, said Tahirih Naylor, a representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations. “Occurring against a backdrop of both the food and climate change crises, the commission this year provided a key platform for Bahá’í delegates to emphasize the importance of agriculture … in our global development strategy,” said Ms. Naylor. SAT program The SAT workshop, titled “SAT: A Model for Building Capabilities for Sustainable Rural Development,” was part of the commission’s “Learning Centre” program and featured an extended discussion of the spiritual and moral principles that undergird the initiative. The Baha’i International Community sponsored a discussion on climate change and the implications for agriculture in Africa on 5 May 2008 in New York. From left are Dwight Allen of Old Dominion University; Stephen Connor of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Columbia University; Bani Dugal of the BIC; Modest Jonathan Mero of the Mission of Tanzania to the U.N.; and Don Brown of Penn State University.“It’s not simply about poverty alleviation,” said Erin Murphy-Graham, a faculty member in education at the University of California, Berkeley. “Development is about building human capabilities.” Dr. Murphy-Graham, a Bahá’í who has researched the effects of the SAT in Honduras, particularly in terms of the empowerment of women, said the program seeks first to develop capabilities in individual and group decision-making, given that individual transformation must parallel societal transformation. “We don’t see that these two processes can be separated,” she said. Barry Smith, one of the founders of the Bayán Association, a Bahá'í-inspired nongovernmental organization in Honduras that has made extensive use of the SAT program, said it is different from other initiatives in that it develops people’s attitudes, skills, insights and knowledge, and empowers participants by showing they have what is necessary to improve their own circumstances. “There is sometimes a dependency mind-set under which people don’t have a sense of agency,” said Dr. Smith. But with this program, there is a “rigorous rethinking of fundamental assumptions about the nature of development and its protagonists.” The SAT program was developed by FUNDAEC, a private educational foundation based in Cali, Colombia. Climate change The panel discussion on the ethical dimension on climate change focused on the impact global warming is likely to have on agriculture and rural development in Africa, and how understanding the moral dimensions of climate change is critical to addressing the unfolding crisis. “We need to educate for the reality of our interdependence,” said Dwight Allen, a specialist in educational reform at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. “We need tools (for) solving problems from a moral perspective. Education can provide some of these tools,” said Dr. Allen, who is a Bahá’í. He also noted that women and youth are untapped resources in efforts to address the challenges of climate change. Rural women The BIC-sponsored discussion on sustainable development and rural women highlighted the fact that, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, women are responsible for half the world’s food production and, in developing countries, produce between 60 and 80 percent of food. “We have to come to terms with the fact that the face of the farmer is female,” said Jeannette Gurung, an expert in forestry and gender development with Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN). Dr. Gurung said agricultural funding and management institutions should be more responsive to women, and that women themselves must learn their rights and demand the services and assistance they need.

NEW YORK

United States

Bahá'í International Community rejects Iranian allegations on recent arrests

Bahá'í International Community rejects Iranian allegations on recent arrests NEW YORK, United States — Allegations by Iran that six Bahá’ís were arrested last week “for security reasons and not for their faith” are utterly baseless and without documentation, said the Bahá’í International Community today. “All of the allegations issued in a statement on Tuesday by the Iranian government are utterly baseless,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, referring to statements made in a press conference given yesterday in Tehran by Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham, at which he acknowledged the arrest and imprisonment of six Bahá’í leaders last week. “The allegations are not new, and the Iranian government knows well that they are untrue,” Ms. Dugal said. “The documented plan of the Iranian government has always been to destroy the Bahá’í community, and these latest arrests represent an intensification of this plan. “The group of Bahá’ís arrested last week, like the thousands of Bahá’ís who since 1979 have been killed, imprisoned, or otherwise oppressed, are being persecuted solely because of their religious beliefs. The best proof of this is the fact that, time and again, Bahá’ís have been offered their freedom if they recant their Bahá’í beliefs and convert to Islam – an option few have taken. “Far from being a threat to state security, the Bahá’í community of Iran has great love for their country and they are deeply committed to its development. This is evidenced, for example, by the fact that the vast majority of Bahá’ís have remained in Iran despite intense persecution, the fact that students denied access to education in Iran and forced to study abroad have returned to assist in the development of their country, and the recent effort by Bahá’ís in Shiraz to provide schooling for underprivileged children – an effort the government responded to by arresting some 54 Bahá’í participants in May 2006,” said Ms. Dugal. In its coverage of Mr. Elham’s press conference, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the six Bahá’ís were arrested “for security reasons not for their faith.” The IRNA report also quoted Mr. Elham as saying that the six Bahá’ís were somehow linked to “foreigners, the Zionists in particular.” Ms. Dugal addressed that issue also, saying: “The charges linking the Bahá’ís to Zionism are a distortion of history: The Bahá’í Faith has its world headquarters in Israel because Bahá’u’lláh was, in the mid-1800s, sent as a prisoner to the Holy Land by two Islamic countries: Ottoman Turkey and Iran. “The charge that Bahá’ís are Zionists, which has in fact been made against Bahá’ís for the last 30 years by Iran, is nothing more than an effort by the government to stir animosity against Bahá’ís among the Iranian population at large. This is but the most recent iteration in a long history of attempts to foment hatred by casting the Bahá’ís as agents of foreign powers, whether of Russia, the United Kingdom, or the United States—and now Israel—all of which are completely baseless. “The real issue, as it relates to Bahá’ís, who are committed to nonpartisanship and nonviolence, is the ideology of the government, which has undertaken a well-documented effort to utterly block the development of the Bahá’í community not only through arrests, harassment and imprisonment but also by depriving their youth of education and preventing adults from obtaining a livelihood. “We would ask whether issues of state security rather than ideology were involved in recent incidents such as the destruction of a Bahá’í cemetery and the use of a bulldozer to crush the bones of a Bahá’í who was interred there; the harassment of hundreds of Bahá’í schoolchildren throughout Iran by teachers and school officials in an effort to make them reject their own religion; or the publication of dozens of defamatory anti-Bahá’í articles in Kayhan and other government-sponsored news media in recent months,” said Ms. Dugal. She also noted that over the years, a number of government officials, clerics, and members of the judiciary have in fact made statements in private noting the nonpartisan conduct of the Bahá’í community and the unjustified nature of government charges against Bahá’ís. She added that the present government’s ideology is based in large part on a belief that there could be no Prophet following Muhammad. The Bahá’í Faith poses a theological challenge to this belief. “Freedom of religion is the issue and Iran itself is a signatory to international covenants that acknowledge the right of individuals to freedom of religion or belief, including the right to change one’s religion,” Ms. Dugal said. “What the Iranian government cannot tolerate is that the Iranian people are less responsive to the government’s propaganda, because they see the reality — that Iranian Bahá’ís love their country, are sincere in their desire to contribute to its well-being, are peace-loving, and are law-abiding — and that these qualities stem from their beliefs. Consequently, there is growing sympathy for the Bahá’ís. Increasingly, people at all levels of the society are coming to their defense both privately and publicly, and there is growing interest in and attraction to the Bahá’í Faith amongst the population,” Ms. Dugal said.

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NEW YORK

United States

Iranian Baha’i leaders being held incommunicado; growing concern for their fate

Iranian Baha’i leaders being held incommunicado; growing concern for their fate NEW YORK, United States — Six Baha’i leaders who were arrested nearly two weeks ago are being held incommunicado, without access to lawyers or relatives, and the Baha’i International Community is increasingly concerned about their fate. “Although initial reports indicated they were taken to Evin prison, in fact we don’t know where they are, and we are extremely concerned,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “What is clear is that none of their fundamental rights are being upheld. They have had no access to family members or counsel. We don’t even know if they have been before a judge or whether they have been formally charged. “All we know is what a government spokesperson said last week, which is that they were arrested for ‘security reasons,’ a charge that is utterly baseless. “We appeal to the international community, human rights groups, and people of conscience, as well as the news media, to continue their efforts to press the Iranian government so that the rights of these people as detainees be upheld and that they be allowed access to counsel and general communication with the outside -- as a minimum step,” said Ms. Dugal. The six, all members of the national-level group that helped see to the minimum needs of Baha’is in Iran, were arrested on 14 May 2008 in an early morning sweep that is ominously similar to episodes in the 1980s when scores of Iranian Baha’i leaders were rounded up and killed. A seventh member of the national coordinating group was arrested in early March in Mashhad after being summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence office there. The whereabouts of none of the seven are known, said Ms. Dugal. “We understood that the six were taken to Evin prison -- the seventh remaining in Mashhad -- principally because some of the government agents who arrested the six on the 14th had documents indicating they would be taken to that notorious place,” she said. “However, in light of the fact that relatives have made repeated attempts to learn more about the fate of the seven, and in all cases have been met with evasion and conflicting stories from government officials, we must now say that we don’t know where they are -- and that our level of concern for their fate is at the highest,” Ms. Dugal said. Arrested on 14 May were: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All live in Tehran. Arrested in Mashhad on 5 March was Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, who also resides in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was summoned to Mashhad by the Ministry of Intelligence, ostensibly on the grounds that she was required to answer questions related to the burial of an individual in the Baha’i cemetery in that city. Last week, Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham gave a press conference at which he acknowledged the arrest and imprisonment of the six. News reports quoted Mr. Elham as saying on 20 May that the six were arrested for “security issues” and not because of their religious beliefs. Those assertions -- the only public statement by the government about the arrests -- were immediately rebutted by Ms. Dugal. “The group of Baha’is arrested last week, like the thousands of Baha’is who since 1979 have been killed, imprisoned, or otherwise oppressed, are being persecuted solely because of their religious beliefs,” Ms. Dugal said on 21 May.

40.7127281

-74.0060152

ACRE

Israel

Holy day marks 116th anniversary of the passing of Baha’u’llah

Holy day marks 116th anniversary of the passing of Baha’u’llah ACRE, Israel — Four hundred Baha’i pilgrims will be among the thousand followers of Baha’u’llah from around the world who gather at His burial site on 29 May at 3 a.m. to commemorate the 116th anniversary of His passing. Around the globe, tens of thousands more will turn their faces in the direction of the same shrine – for Baha’is, the holiest spot on earth – in remembrance of the night in 1892 that Baha’u’llah passed away at His home near Acre in the Holy Land. His remains were entombed on the same property, now a site of pilgrimage for members of the Baha’i Faith the world over. Many of those who attend the program at the Shrine of Baha’u’llah will also be able to visit His home, the Mansion of Bahji, for a few minutes of private prayer in the very room where He spent His final hours. The quadrant of the gardens at Bahji nearest the Shrine of Baha’u’llah is known as the Haram-i-Aqdas – the most holy sanctuary. A thousand Baha’is will be seated in chairs set up in the outer ring for a program of prayers and readings to commemorate the anniversary of His passing, after which they will form a long procession to circumambulate the shrine.The room is maintained exactly as it was during the time of Baha’u’llah – even a pair of His shoes is there for the pilgrims to see. Baha’u’llah was born in Tehran, Iran, but He and a large group of His followers were banished from their native land in 1853 and forced to go first to Baghdad, then on to what was the Ottoman Empire and the remote prison city of Acre. Pilgrims also are able to visit His prison cell in the old walled city and three houses, including the one at Bahji, where He eventually was able to stay when authorities eased the stricter confinement of the prison barracks. Baha’is believe that Baha’u’llah is the Messenger of God for this age, the most recent in a line of divine educators that includes Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Mohammed, Moses, and Zoroaster, among others. The anniversary of the Ascension of Baha’u’llah is one of nine holy days on which Baha’is suspend work.

32.9281731

35.0756378

ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopia

Ethiopian children’s TV show receives honor

Ethiopian children’s TV show receives honor ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — “Tsehai Loves Learning," an Amharic-language educational television show that is produced and broadcast in Ethiopia, received an award at the Prix Jeunesse International 2008, the premiere festival recognizing outstanding children's television programming. The event is held every two years in Munich, Germany; the award was presented on 4 June. The program is the brainchild of Bruktawit Tigabu and Shane Etzenhouser of Addis Ababa, a married couple who are both Baha’is. The show -- designed for preschool children and featuring a hand puppet named Tsehai who is a giraffe -- is styled after classic children’s programs such as “Sesame Street.” The show won the Prix Jeunesse Next Generation Prize for an entry that is “inspirational, innovative, and inspired by a great idea” but that was produced “under difficult circumstances.” The prize brings a monetary award of 6,000 euros and a year of mentoring from the sponsors, which include the Australian Children's Television Foundation, the BBC, Disney Germany, KRO (Dutch Public Broadcasting), Nickelodeon International, and ZDF (German Television Network). "Winning an award at the Prix Jeunesse is considered the highest honor in children's media," Ms. Tigabu said. "For many of Ethiopia's children, the show is the closest thing to early childhood education they have ever received," Mr. Etzenhouser noted. “The Baha'i writings have been a major inspiration for us,” he continued. “The writings on the education of children and on service were what inspired us to make this program. We also relied heavily on Baha'i prayers and writings to uplift us whenever we’ve run into difficulties with the show or whenever we've gotten discouraged. … We don't have a background in television, so the tasks and responsibility inherent in what we are trying to do are enormous.” In a statement about the award to “Tsehai Loves Learning,” Prix Jeunesse said: "The jury was hugely impressed by the program's ability to talk to children, to be creative as well as communicative, on an extremely limited budget. … We all felt that 'Tsehai Loves Learning' was inspired by a great idea born out of the needs of its audience – which after all is the basis of all great TV.” "Tsehai Loves Learning" went on the air in September 2006 with new 10-minute episodes debuting every two weeks for repeated broadcasting. The show is currently on hiatus.

9.0107934

38.7612525

DASDOI

UTTAR PRADESH

India

Quiet revolutionaries

Quiet revolutionaries DASDOI, UTTAR PRADESH, India — At first glance nothing about these eight people would tell you that they are founders of schools. They come from the unlikeliest of backgrounds. One was a high-school dropout, another a TV mechanic, yet another a village “doctor.” Nor is it always easy to guess – at first sight anyway – that what they are running are schools. For example, Ram Vilas Pal, the TV mechanic, shares a property with his brother – part of the land is home to a cowshed, the other part home to the school. What is common to all eight is their passion for social transformation and their conviction that school is the place for this to happen. Indeed, as the soft-spoken Mr. Pal says, in India people often expect this from a school. “The community and the family depend on the school to create a responsible citizen out of the child,” he said. “When a child is found misbehaving, people ask him, ‘Is this what your teacher teaches you in school?’” At a time when many young people leave their villages in search of jobs in the cities, these eight – all but two are in their 20s – have chosen to stay back and help mold the next generation. And they are doing it without large investment and without making tall promises to parents. Most of them set up their community schools by seeking the help of the villagers for land and basic furniture and by employing educated but unemployed rural youth as teachers. In return, they promise to provide good overall education for very modest fee (for a high school student, for example, it might be 50 rupees, or US$1.25, a month). For the villagers, this is a welcome alternative to the existing state-run schools which charge no fees but where standards are so dismal that, as one parent put it, “you will find eighth-standard children who cannot count from one to 10.” Today there are eight of these community schools spread out in villages in the Kakori, Banthra, and Kharagpur blocks of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. They are not far from Lucknow, the state capital. Some of the schools, like Vinod Kumar Yadav’s Glory Public School with 160 students, are doing well. Others, like Mr. Pal’s Nine Point School in Dasdoi with 73 children, are barely breaking even. Still others, like Brajesh Kumar’s Covenant Public School, are in urgent need of help. (For next year, Mr. Kumar plans to move his school to a different location.) Assistance from FAS A mathematics class at New Ideal Academy in a village near Lucknow meets in the open air, while students in another class gather at a table under the shelter.Helping all of them chart their course and stay afloat is the Foundation for the Advancement of Science (FAS), a nongovernmental organization based in Lucknow. FAS assists the schools by training their teachers, guiding them through difficult times, and even providing salaries for one or two teachers when the going gets tough. It is also preparing a new, innovative curriculum for use in the schools. It was this foundation – after years of experimentation with setting up rural educational initiatives that were self-sustaining and self-sufficient – that spearheaded the establishment of the community schools. “We had worked with many tutorial schools in Uttar Pradesh that were externally funded and that eventually failed. This made us realize that the solution had to come from within the village, with the villagers using mainly their own resources,” explains an officer of FAS. For the community schools, he said, FAS started out by looking for individuals with the motivation, the vision and the willingness to struggle and persevere. Itself an NGO inspired by Baha’i ideals, it did not take the foundation long to find these individuals among the educated but unemployed Baha’i youth in the villages surrounding Lucknow. The people working at the foundation knew that the young people were going to face an uphill task in setting up the schools, but they also knew from past experience that such a struggle brings with it a sense of ownership. As one of them put it: “Setting up a school in a village is a difficult job that requires both commitment and great effort. When these youth suffer for the school, their resolve is strengthened and their attachment to the school is intensified.” Parents’ point of view A man named Sunderlal, sitting outside his hut, is asked why he sends his son – who is beside him playing with a bicycle tire – to Brajesh Kumar’s school. His answer is immediate: “Because children of his school are good and respectful.” This becomes a common refrain among parents and villagers when asked about the community schools. In brief How the schools operate A common challenge for the schools is to provide classes for all ages with only a handful of teachers. Ram Vilas Pal explains how he addresses this at his school in Dasdoi: "Depending on how many students we have in different standards, we put them into groups. For example, we put nursery and kindergarten in one group, students of 1st, 2nd and 3rd in another, 4th and 5th standard students in another, and finally there is a group of high school students. “Each group has one teacher. The method she follows is to teach a lesson to students of one level while students of other levels in the same group are given class work to do.… Thus we manage by alternating between assigning class work and teaching lessons.” Also, he says, they try to balance difficult subjects with easy ones. In the group, when some of the students are working with a difficult subject – mathematics, for example – the others are given something easier so that the teacher can devote more attention to the first class. Mr. Kumar explains why: “Our whole reason for starting these schools was not just to provide better quality of the same thing that is available everywhere but also to give something new and much-needed in the form of moral education.” All the schools use a curriculum developed by the international Baha’i community for the moral education of children and young adolescents. Mr. Kumar, who holds a master’s degree in education that presumably could guarantee him a comfortable job in the city, says: “I could have done many other things that would give me more money and involved less effort. But here I am doing something not for myself but for the village as a whole by bringing about moral, social, economic, and intellectual change.” The community schools are faced with the same social problems that plague rural India, chief among them the caste system and discrimination against the girl child. C. Bhagwandin, a member of the gram panchayat (governing council) in the village of Dasdoi, confesses that caste differences initially posed a barrier to sending his daughter to Mr. Pal’s school. “Since he was of a different caste, I was initially reluctant,” Mr. Bhagwandin says. “However, seeing that his students could really read and write, that they behaved well and since the only other option was to send her to a school in another village, I decided to overlook this fact. And I haven’t regretted my decision.” Teaching values In all the schools, the message of equality and the need for mutual respect is instilled from the earliest stages using various techniques, including incorporating the arts into the curriculum. For example, “we have found that the most effective way to teach these values to students, is through the use of skits and songs,” says Mr. Yadav. Discrimination against the girl child is dealt with through a more proactive approach, given that these are areas where traditionally women do not leave the home, much less receive an education. “We visit the homes of parents in the village and talk to them about the importance of sending their daughters and not just their sons to school. And after a period of patient counseling, they understand,” explains Mr. Pal. Right now, perhaps the most important challenge before these young entrepreneurs is to keep their schools profitable. Problems include spiraling costs, regular defaulting in fee payment, and children being pulled out of school to be used for agricultural labor. While the owners will continue to seek solutions, FAS remains confident of the overall potential for the schools to become successful educational institutions and to bring about palpable social and cultural change in the villages. Indeed, the foundation already has plans to help 20 more unemployed young people start such schools in Uttar Pradesh. Article and photographs by Arash Vafa Fazli.

NEW YORK

United States

Seven jailed Iranian Baha’is make brief contact with families

Seven jailed Iranian Baha’is make brief contact with families NEW YORK, United States — Seven prominent Baha’is imprisoned in Iran have each been allowed a brief phone call to their families, the Baha’i International Community has learned. The calls were the first contact with the jailed Baha’is since six of them were arrested on 14 May in pre-dawn raids at their homes in Tehran. The seventh was arrested in March in the city of Mashhad. The Baha’i International Community has learned that on 3 June, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet and Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi were permitted to make short phone calls to their families. Mrs. Sabet had been detained in Mashhad on 5 March but on 26 May was transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran, where it is believed the others are also being held. Later it was confirmed that Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm also have made brief phone calls to their families. No charges have been filed against any of the seven, who comprise the entire membership of a coordinating committee that saw to the minimal needs of the 300,000-member Baha’i community of Iran. In 1980, all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Iran were taken away and presumed killed as they were never heard from again. A year later, after the Assembly had been reconstituted, eight of the nine members were arrested and killed. Besides the seven committee members imprisoned in Tehran, about 15 other Baha’is are currently detained in Iran, some incommunicado and most with no formal charges.

40.7127281

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NEW YORK

United States

Nobel laureates call for release of Iranian Baha’i prisoners

Nobel laureates call for release of Iranian Baha’i prisoners NEW YORK, United States — Six Nobel Peace Prize laureates have issued a statement calling on the Iranian government to free immediately seven prominent Iranian Baha’is imprisoned in Tehran. The six Nobel winners, under the banner of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, called on the Iranian government to guarantee the safety of the Baha’is –- being held in Evin Prison with no formal charges and no access to lawyers -- and to grant them an unconditional release. “We are thankful to these internationally prominent activists for calling publicly for the release of our fellow Baha’is, who are detained for no reason other than their religion,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. The Nobel laureates supporting the statement are: -- Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire, founders of the Peace People in Northern Ireland and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976; -- Rigoberta Menchu Tum, a leading advocate of ethno-cultural reconciliation in her native Guatemala and Nobel winner in 1992; -- Professor Jody Williams, international campaigner for the banning of land mines, winner in 1997; -- Iranian human rights lawyer Dr. Shirin Ebadi, winner in 2003; -- Kenyan environmental activist Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, Nobel winner in 2004. Their statement, issued on the letterhead of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, reads: “We note with concern the news of the arrest of six prominent Baha’is in Iran on 14 May 2008. We note that Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm are members of the informal group known as the Friends in Iran that coordinates the activities of the Baha’i community in Iran; we further note that another member of the Friends in Iran, Mrs Mahvash Sabet, has been held in custody since 5 March 2008; we register our deepest concern at the mounting threats and persecution of the Iranian Baha’i community. “We call on the Iranian Government to guarantee the safety of these individuals (and) grant their immediate unconditional release.” The Nobel Women's Initiative was established in 2006 by the six women laureates - representing North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa – to contribute to building peace by working together with women around the world. Only 12 women have ever won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Women’s Initiative maintains an office in Ottawa, Canada.

40.7127281

-74.0060152

QUEBEC CITY

Canada

Baha’i shrines chosen as World Heritage sites

Baha’i shrines chosen as World Heritage sites QUEBEC CITY, Canada — A United Nations committee meeting here has determined that two Baha'i shrines in Israel possess "outstanding universal value" and should be considered as part of the cultural heritage of humanity. The decision today by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee means that the two most sacred sites for Baha'is - the resting places of the founders of their religion - join a list of internationally recognized sites like the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and Stonehenge. The World Heritage List also includes places of global religious significance like the Vatican, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the remains of the recently destroyed Bamiyan Buddhist statues in Afghanistan. The Baha'i shrines are the first sites connected with a religious tradition born in modern times to be added to the list, which is maintained by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The two shrines, one near the recognized heritage site of Old Acre on Israel's northern coast and the other on Mount Carmel in Haifa, are the resting places of Baha'u'llah and the Bab, the founders of the Baha'i Faith. Baha'is believe that both Baha'u'llah and the Bab were messengers of God; their resting places are sites of pilgrimage for a religious community of some five million believers. The shrine of Baha'u'llah is the focal point of prayer for Baha'is all over the world, giving it an importance comparable to the Western Wall in Jerusalem for Jews and the Kaaba in Mecca for Muslims. Born in Iran, Baha'u'llah was banished to Acre in what was then the Ottoman Empire, where he died in 1892. The Bab was executed in Iran in 1850, and His remains were later moved to Haifa for burial. The Shrine of Baha’u’llah near Acre, north of Haifa – the holiest spot on earth for members of the Baha’i Faith – also is part of the World Heritage designation.The two shrines are noteworthy for the formal gardens that surround them, blending design elements from many cultures. In addition to Baha'i pilgrims, they attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists every year. "We welcome the UNESCO recognition, which highlights the importance of the holy places of a religion that in 150 years has gone from a small group found only in the Middle East to a worldwide community with followers in virtually every country," said Albert Lincoln, secretary-general of the Baha'i International Community. "The Baha'i community is particularly grateful to the government of Israel for putting forward this nomination," he said. The World Heritage List was established by UNESCO in 1972 to identify, protect, and preserve places of "cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value." So far, 184 nations have signed the World Heritage Convention, which defines the general standards of selection for the list, and more than 850 sites have been recognized, including natural areas, such as East Africa's Serengeti and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The World Heritage Committee is composed of 21 states that are signatories of the World Heritage Convention. It meets annually in the home country of its chairperson. This year's chair is Dr. Christina Cameron of Canada, and the gathering in Quebec, which is itself a world heritage site, corresponds with that city's 400th anniversary celebrations.

46.8137431

-71.2084061

ACRE

Israel

"People can sense the presence of God"

"People can sense the presence of God" ACRE, Israel — Muslims to Mecca, Jews to Jerusalem, Christians to Bethlehem, Buddhists to Lumbini - and Baha'is to Acre. The holiest spots on earth to Baha'is - the resting places of Baha'u'llah and the Bab, the founders of the Baha'i Faith and both considered Manifestations of God - attract thousands of pilgrims and visitors each year. Now the sites, located in northern Israel, have been named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in recognition of their "outstanding universal value" to the common heritage of humanity. The Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, framed by formal gardens and terraces, is one of two major Baha’i properties named as a World Heritage site.By any measure, the sites are beautiful. Stunning formal gardens surround them - the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in the countryside near Acre, north of the city of Haifa, and the Shrine of the Bab, a golden-domed building on the slope of Mount Carmel in the heart of Haifa itself. Pilgrims will tell you that the outward beauty is but a symbol, an expression of love for the Messengers of God who lie entombed there and a beacon of hope for the future of humanity. "It's hard to put into words," said Gary Marx, on pilgrimage from his home in Michigan in the United States. "You can describe things physically, but it's really not about that. Pilgrimage is an experience that goes back to the dawn of mankind. It's a yearning to connect with spiritual reality ... and to connect with yourself." Although the two shrines have specific meaning for Baha'is, their spiritual nature appeals to others as well. "People who are not Baha'is come here and say it is like a piece of heaven falling from the sky," said Taraneh Rafati, who has served for the past 10 years as a pilgrim guide to the Baha'i holy sites. "Whether you are a Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, in the holy texts, heaven is described. It is like this," she said, mentioning the peacefulness, the beauty. "You come and feel close to your Lord. It is free of charge, and it is for everyone." Visitors, tourists, and pilgrims Half a million people visited the shrine areas last year, many of them tourists wanting to see the gardens and get a close look particularly at the Shrine of the Bab, a famous landmark in Israel that looks out over the city of Haifa and Haifa Bay, and beyond that to the Mediterranean Sea. More than 80,000 of those visitors entered the shrine itself, removing their shoes and walking silently into the room adjacent to the burial chamber of the Bab. Some just want a peek but many linger to read a prayer of Baha'u'llah that adorns one of the walls, or engage in their own meditation or prayer. Some are visibly moved. "There was one group of Catholics, and they all went to their knees as soon as they entered," remembers one of the guides. Baha'i pilgrims participate in a special nine-day program that includes visits to both shrines. Guides say that individuals have different reactions to the experience. "The response is as varied as the people who come," said Marcia Lample, a pilgrim guide for the last five years. Some people, for example, cannot immediately go in the shrine when they arrive. "They feel unworthy," she explained. For others, the sacred shrines are like a magnet, pulling them in. "Some people go in and stay for hours. Some stay for four minutes. It doesn't matter. They stay as long as they need to stay," Mrs. Lample said. Acre’s first Baha’i pilgrims Baha’i pilgrimage to Acre began shortly after 1868, when Baha’u’llah arrived at the ancient walled city as a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire. He had been banished from His native Iran 15 years earlier, and lived successively in Baghdad, Istanbul, and Edirne before being sent to Acre, then a remote outpost of the Ottoman Empire used as a place of exile. Devoted followers from Iran determined His whereabouts and would travel on foot for months just to catch a glimpse of Him. Not allowed inside the city walls, the pilgrims would stand outside and look toward the citadel, hoping Baha’u’llah would come to a window on the second floor where He was confined, even for a minute, so they could see Him wave His hand. Later, when authorities allowed Baha’u’llah to live outside the barracks, pilgrims could sometimes enter His presence to show their devotion and listen to His explanations of the new revelation from God. Sometimes He would write a tablet – a prayer or other communication – for the pilgrims to take back to Iran or elsewhere to Baha’is thirsty for contact with the leader they considered the mouthpiece of God for this age. After His passing, pilgrims still came – to pray at His resting place and to pay their respects to His son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, whom Baha’u’llah had appointed to succeed Him as head of the Baha’i community, and later to Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith. As the religion spread around the world, the believers came from farther away, including the first group of Western pilgrims, mainly Americans, who arrived in 1898. They were allowed a special visit to the tomb, and a member of the group, May Bolles, later wrote this: “As we gazed upon the veiled door our souls stirred within us as though seeking release, and had we not been upheld by the mercy of God we could not have endured the poignancy of joy and sorrow and love and yearning that shook the foundations of our beings.” The Shrine of Baha'u'llah The Shrine of Baha'u'llah is the holiest spot on earth for Baha'is - the place they turn to each day in prayer. "It's amazing inside," said Farzin Rasouli-Seisan, 26, on pilgrimage from Sydney, Australia. "You go in and it leads to a garden inside - there are flowers and a couple of trees, all under a skylight. There are a number of rooms, and one of them is Baha'u'llah's resting place. You can't go in that room, but there is a step where you can put your head down." Mrs. Rafati says of being in the shrines: "It is not that we are worshipping the dust or worshipping a wall - it is the connection that the place has with our beloved. We do not go there to worship the flowers. We go to there to pour out our heart." The shrine is also special because it is adjacent to the country house where Baha'u'llah lived the last years of His life. Pilgrims can go there and enter His room - the room where He passed away in 1892 - restored to the way it was when He was present. Some of His actual belongings can be viewed. Baha'u'llah lived at the estate, called Bahji, the final years of His life, after authorities loosened the restrictions that had kept Him inside the prison city of Acre for years following His banishment from His native Iran. The golden dome in Haifa Before He passed away, Baha'u'llah was able to go several times to nearby Haifa, and He gave explicit instructions to establish the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel. The Bab - who in 1844 in Iran had announced that He was a Messenger of God who had come to foretell the imminent arrival of a second Messenger even greater than Himself, namely Baha'u'llah - had been executed in 1850 in the public square in Tabriz. His followers hid His remains for years, waiting for the time they could provide a proper burial. Half a century later, the sacred remains were taken to Haifa and finally laid in their permanent resting place on Mount Carmel, in the Bible described as the "mountain of the Lord." The golden dome that crowns the shrine was completed in 1953 along with an extension of earlier gardens at the site. In 2001, a series of beautiful garden terraces was completed, both above and below the shrine, stretching more than a kilometer up the side of Mount Carmel. The experience of the pilgrim Baha'is plan and save their money for years to be able to come to Acre and Haifa, Mrs. Lample said. "They get a chance to pray in the place where the founder of their faith has walked, where He revealed the word of God, where He suffered for them and for the unity of the human race," she said. "And mostly they come to pray in the places which contain the precious remains of the central figures of their religion." Roger and Cathy Hamrick, who live in North Carolina in the United States, came in June for their first pilgrimage. "We have been married almost 30 years, and we have been wanting to come that whole time," Mrs. Hamrick said. "Going to the shrines is like the culmination of a spiritual journey of a lifetime. How can anything compare to putting your forehead on the sacred threshold?" Pilgrimage also helps Baha'is see their faith in practice, Mr. Hamrick said. The main teaching of the Baha'i Faith is the unity of mankind under one God, and people who come to the Holy Land meet Baha'is from all around the world. "There is such joy in experiencing the oneness of the human family," he said. "It is unlike anything I have ever done." Mrs. Lample said that pilgrims also attend talks and programs about the development of the Baha'i Faith around the world, which helps them envision how their own community back home fits into the bigger picture. Still, she said, the main purpose of pilgrimage is praying and meditating at the shrines, and it is almost always a special experience. "People can find something," she said. "There is a spirit surrounding these places. It is palpable. People can sense the presence of God."

32.9281731

35.0756378

HAIFA

Israel

Baha’is commemorate martyrdom of the Bab

Baha’is commemorate martyrdom of the Bab HAIFA, Israel — This week Baha’is mark the 158th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Bab, one of the two central figures in the founding of their religion. On 9 July 1850, at noon, the Bab was put to death by firing squad in the public square of Tabriz, Iran. Six years earlier, He had declared that He was a messenger of God whose mission was to prepare the way for the imminent arrival of the Promised One of all religions who would come to establish a new age of peace and prosperity in the world. In 1863, Baha’u’llah announced publicly that He was that Promised One. The Bab attracted tens of thousands of people to His teachings, thousands of whom were killed in persecutions that swept Iran. Finally, authorities had the Bab Himself put to death in an attempt to stamp out the new religion. A half century after His execution, His sacred remains were brought to Haifa for entombment on Mount Carmel. Today His shrine is one of the most famous landmarks in Israel, and the Baha’i Faith is established in virtually every country. The anniversary of the martyrdom of the Bab is one of nine holy days when Baha’is suspend work. It is commemorated with prayers and special programs at noon on 9 July.

32.8191218

34.9983856

NEW YORK

United States

Arsonists in Iran target Baha’i homes, vehicles

Arsonists in Iran target Baha’i homes, vehicles NEW YORK, United States — Acts of arson targeting homes and vehicles are the latest violent tactics directed against the Baha’is of Iran. “In the early hours of the morning of 18 July, the house of the Shaaker family in Kerman went up in flames, only weeks after their car had been torched and in the wake of a series of threatening phone calls,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “As would be expected in the light of the mistreatment Baha’is in Iran are routinely receiving, the officials who investigated the fire either ignored or dismissed obvious signs of suspicious activity, including a muffled explosion, simply saying that it was the result of an electrical problem,” she said. At least a dozen cases of arson that target Baha’is have been reported in Iran in the last 15 months, Ms. Dugal said. She gave the following examples: The home of the family of Mehran Shaaker of Kerman, Iran, was gutted by fire on 18 July 2008. Family members had received theatening phone calls, and their car had been the target of a recent arson attempt.-- On 15 July at 1:15 a.m., Molotov cocktails were thrown into the front courtyard of the home of Khusraw Dehghani and his wife, Dr. Huma Agahi, in Vilashahr, only months after anonymous threats directly related to her being a Baha’i forced Dr. Agahi to close her clinic in nearby Najafabad where she had practiced medicine for 28 years. -- On 25 July, the car of a prominent Baha’i in Rafsanjan, in Kerman province, was torched and destroyed by arsonists on motorbikes. Soheil Naeimi, the owner of the car, and 10 other Baha’i families in the town had received threatening letters from a group calling itself the Anti-Baha’ism Movement of the Youth of Rafsanjan that, among other things, threatened jihad (holy war) against the Baha’is. -- On 10 June, an outbuilding on the property of the Mr. and Mrs. Mousavi, elderly Baha’is living in the village of Tangriz in Fars province, was destroyed by fire when it was doused with gasoline. The Mousavis, along with their two sons who were sleeping close to the building, narrowly escaped injury when the gasoline tank used to start the fire exploded. The Mousavis believe that the perpetrator thought they were all sleeping in the hut when he set the fire. Mr. Mousavi issued a formal complaint against the person they suspected, but the legal office has declined to pursue the case because the suspect swore on the Qur’an that he was not guilty. Out of respect for the Qur’an, the Mousavis have dropped the charges. -- On 4 April, the home of a Baha’i was set on fire in Babolsar, in the north of Iran. -- In February in Shiraz, a 53-year-old businessman was attacked on the street, chained to a tree, doused with gasoline, and assaulted by unknown persons who then attempted to throw lighted matches at him. -- Also in Shiraz in February, several arson attempts were made against vehicles and a home belonging to Baha’is. -- On 1 May 2007, arson destroyed the home of ‘Abdu’l-Baqi Rouhani in the village of Ivil, in Mazandaran. -- In Karaj, the burial section of a Baha’i cemetery was set on fire. “These latest attacks follow the authorities’ attempts to deprive the Iranian Baha’i community of its leadership,” Ms. Dugal said, referring to the arrests in March and May this year of the seven members of Iran’s national Baha’i coordinating group, all of whom are still locked up in Evin Prison in Tehran without any charges and without access to an attorney or to their families. “As Baha’is worldwide watch with alarm this escalation in violence,” she added, “their fears that a sinister plan of persecution is unfolding become increasingly confirmed. Their only hope is that enough voices of protests are raised around the world to compel the government in Iran to put an end to this violence.”

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-74.0060152

BEITOSTOLEN

Norway

Most Holy Book of Baha’i Faith published in Norwegian

Most Holy Book of Baha’i Faith published in Norwegian BEITOSTOLEN, Norway — The Baha’i book known as the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the “Most Holy Book,” has been published in Norwegian for the first time, bringing to about 30 the number of different language editions of the work. The book, originally written in Arabic, was presented this month at a ceremony in Beitostolen attended by more than 300 Baha’is and their guests. “I am really looking forward to reading the book in Norwegian,” said 19-year-old Dehlia Eide of Stavanger, who participated in the ceremony. “This is an incredibly important book.” The volume is the pre-eminent work of Baha’u’llah, founder of the Baha’i Faith, and contains teachings and laws for the development of human society, said Douglas Moore, spokesman for the Baha’i International Community. Baha’is believe that Baha’u’llah is the most recent Messenger of God in a line that includes Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna, and others, and that the main teaching of God for this age is the unity of the human race. The Baha’i writings refer to the Kitab-i-Aqdas as the “charter of the future world civilization.” In the book, Baha’u’llah reveals laws, ordinances and exhortations on a number of subjects, among them prayer, marriage, divorce, burial, the Baha’i calendar, the age of maturity, the nature of work, obedience to government, and education. A key feature of the Kitab-i-Aqdas is its reference to Baha’i administration and the institutions that today govern the religion, Mr. Moore said. Parts of Baha’i scripture – the writings of Baha’u’llah total the equivalent of some 100 volumes – have been translated into more than 800 languages, but the Kitab-i-Aqdas is challenging because of the eloquent style of Arabic and the way the revelation of spiritual teachings is interwoven with the giving of laws, he said. In addition, certain supplementary materials as well as other Baha’i scripture must be considered in concert with the Kitab-i-Aqdas to gain an appropriate understanding of the intent, Mr. Moore said; the laws are meant to be introduced gradually as a world civilization develops. Baha’u’llah wrote the book in 1873 while a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire in Acre in what is now Israel. It was first translated by the Baha’i World Centre into English in 1992. Among the languages into which the Kitab-i-Aqdas has been translated, in addition to Norwegian and English, are Albanian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Marathi, Oriya, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. The Norwegian edition was presented on 9 July during an annual summer school held by the Baha’is of Norway. (Story clarification: On 7 August 2008, the language in the first and penultimate paragraphs of this article was adjusted for clarity. Also, Marathi was added to the list of languages in the penultimate paragraph.)

61.2498658

8.9064205

HO CHI MINH CITY

Vietnam

Vietnam recognizes Baha’is as religious community

Vietnam recognizes Baha’is as religious community HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — The government of Vietnam has given full recognition to the Baha’i community as a religious organization. A certificate was presented to representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Vietnam at a ceremony on 25 July. It was the final act in a series of steps that included the election four months ago of the Baha’i Assembly – itself a landmark event in that it was the first time in many years that elections for the governing council were held. Government representatives were on hand to observe the balloting. The head of the central government’s Committee for Religious Affairs, Nguyen The Doanh, officiated at last week’s ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City. The official government news agency reported the event and referred to comments by the chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is, Mr. Nguyen Thuc: “(He) said the Government's recognition of the Baha'i religion ‘charts a new course of development for the entire Baha'i community’ and motivates followers to make more contributions to social and humanitarian activities and to drive to preserve traditional spiritual values.” The Baha’i Faith was established in the country in 1954, and the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Vietnam was elected 10 years later. In the mid-1970s, formal activities of the community were suspended. The Vietnam News Agency said last week’s ceremony means that “the Government's Committee for Religious Affairs has recognized the Baha'i Community of Vietnam as a religious organization able to operate on an equal footing with other religions.” Baha’is of Vietnam are now working on consolidating their community, gathering accurate statistics, and expanding social projects to serve the people of Vietnam, particularly in the area of education.

10.7715512

106.6983801

NEW YORK

United States

Baha’is reject allegations of subversive activity in Iran

Baha’is reject allegations of subversive activity in Iran NEW YORK, United States — The Baha’i International Community categorically rejects statements by an Iranian prosecutor that seven Baha’is detained in Tehran have “confessed” to operating an “illegal” organization with ties to Israel and other countries. “We deny in the strongest possible terms the suggestion that Baha’is in Iran have engaged in any subversive activity,” said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The Baha’i community is not involved in political affairs. Their only ‘crime’ is the practice of their religion.” “The seriousness of the allegations makes us fear for the lives of these seven individuals,” she said. She was responding to Iranian newspaper reports of statements by Hasan Haddad, deputy prosecutor general for security at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran. Ms. Dugal said that seven Baha’is arrested earlier this year were members of a committee that helped attend to the needs of the 300,000 Baha’is in Iran. “That is no secret – the government knew perfectly well about the existence of this committee long before its members were arrested, just as the government knows perfectly well that these people are not involved in any underhanded activity,” she said. Ms. Dugal said the detentions are part of a well-documented, decades-long campaign to stamp out the Baha’i community in Iran, and that the latest accusations follow the same pattern as previous unfounded charges. “Suggestions of collusion with the state of Israel are categorically false and misleading. The Iranian authorities are playing on the fact that the Baha’i world administrative center is located in northern Israel,” she said. “The Iranian government completely ignores the well-known historical fact that the Baha’i Faith was centered in Iran until 1853 when the authorities there banished the Baha’i prophet-founder, who was forced into exile and eventually imprisoned in Acre on the Mediterranean coast under the Ottoman Turkish regime. That area happens to be in what is now Israel.” Ms. Dugal said many Baha’is in Iran – including members of the coordinating committee before their imprisonment – are frequently detained for questioning about their activities. The Baha’is, she said, have nothing to hide and try to answer truthfully whenever they are interrogated.

40.7127281

-74.0060152

BRUNSWICK

GEORGIA

United States

American jazz musicians compose winning song for Olympics

American jazz musicians compose winning song for Olympics BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA, United States — Two U.S. jazz musicians combined their knowledge of Chinese music, Brazilian samba, and American jazz to write one of the songs being featured at the Beijing Olympic Games. “Beijing Olympics Hao Yuing (Good Luck),” composed by Phil Morrison and Keith Williams, was one of only about 30 works selected in the final phase of a competition sponsored by the Beijing Olympic Committee. The contest began four years ago, with the final segment alone drawing more than 3,000 entries, organizers said. The Olympic Games begin on 8 August. Although songs were solicited from everywhere, rules said that compositions should reflect “the unique cultural background and humanism of Beijing and China.” Mr. Morrison and Mr. Williams – long-time Baha’is who have recorded in China and performed there numerous times over the past decade – were told that they were the only American-born artists with a winning song in the competition. Only a handful of songs from outside China were selected as winners, according to the notification letter they received. The lyrics of their song convey some of the principles of the Baha'i Faith: “Just one human family – the earth will celebrate – for world unity” and “Promoting peace and friendship for all – the world will come together – we’ll open up the gate.” The two, along with a drummer or other musician, perform as the Phil Morrison Trio featuring Keith Williams. Mr. Morrison, a bassist and composer, has worked as a musician virtually his whole life, first in his native Boston and later touring internationally. He played for about five years with the group of Freddy Cole (younger brother of Nat King Cole), during which time he frequently performed in Brazil. He now lives in Brunswick, Georgia, in the United States. Mr. Williams, originally from San Francisco, is a singer, pianist, composer, and arranger who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton, and for five years had his own trio in Atlanta. He also lives in Brunswick. As leaders of the World Unity Jazz Ensemble – a name they still use for certain performances – Mr. Morrison and Mr. Williams released the albums “China Sky” and “Hollow Reed.” In the Olympic song competition, many of the winning compositions are anthems, but Mr. Williams said “Beijing Olympics Hao Yuing” has more the flavor of a party celebration. “The lyrics say, ‘Come join us in the human family,’” he said, noting that they had been told that their song would be on the official Olympics CD put out by Sony Music. Their composition for the Olympics can be heard on the Web site www.philmorrisontrio.com.

31.1499528

-81.4914894

NEW YORK

United States

Iranian media attacks on Baha'is and Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi seek to stir "irrational fears and prejudices"

Iranian media attacks on Baha'is and Nobel Prize Winner Shirin Ebadi seek to stir "irrational fears and prejudices" NEW YORK, United States — Fraudulent claims in the Iranian news media about seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders and the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and others to defend them represent an effort by the government to prevent Baha'is from having adequate legal representation – and also to stir up “irrational fears and prejudices,” the Baha'i International Community said in a statement today. “Reports published in government-run news outlets point to an effort on the part of the authorities to use the mass media to spread accusations that the seven prisoners have engaged in subversive activities, and to continue to deprive these Baha’is from any access to legal counsel by maligning Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the well-known Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner who, together with her colleagues, has stated her readiness to defend the Baha’is,” said the statement. The statement, posted to the Baha'i International Community’s United Nations Office Web site, responds to allegations that Mrs. Ebadi’s daughter has become a Baha'i, that Baha'is are agents of Zionism, and that when Iranian Baha'is communicate with the Baha'i Faith’s international governing body in Israel, it is somehow a “conspiracy.” “The Iranian government seizes every means at its disposal to stigmatize the Baha’is and then, within the poisoned atmosphere it has itself created, when it wants to discredit someone, it asserts that the person is a Baha’i,” the statement said. “Mrs. Ebadi is not the first individual upon whom this tactic has been used. As a lawyer, Mrs. Ebadi defends individuals and groups of many different backgrounds; this does not mean that she necessarily espouses their beliefs. What, then, is the state-sanctioned press trying to insinuate when it contends that her daughter is a Baha’i?” The full statement can be read at: http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/Iran-Intensifies-Disinformation.htm

40.7127281

-74.0060152

NEW YORK

United States

Baha'is imprisoned in Yemen may face imminent deportation to Iran

Baha'is imprisoned in Yemen may face imminent deportation to Iran NEW YORK, United States — Three Baha’is currently imprisoned in Yemen are facing the possibility of imminent deportation to Iran, where Baha’is are intensely persecuted and they would likely face imprisonment or torture. “We are gravely concerned about the fate of these three Baha'is, who are being held without charges in a case that is clearly based on religious persecution,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. “Although the three have lived in Yemen for more than 25 years, they hold Iranian passports and we have come to believe that the Yemeni government may be planning to deport them to Iran, where the government is waging a systematic campaign against Baha'is. “While calling for their immediate release, our primary concern today is to ask that the Yemeni government resist any impulse to deport these three Baha'is to Iran – or any other country. Deportation to any country for three individuals with well established businesses and families for their religious beliefs would be grossly unjust, but deportation to Iran, where they face the possibility of torture, would be a clear violation of international human rights law,” said Ms. Dugal. The three Baha'is were arrested in June, apparently in relation to their belief in and practice of the Baha'i Faith, along with a Baha'i of Iraqi origin. The three Baha'is of Iranian origin who were arrested are Mr. Zia'u'llah Pourahmari, Mr. Keyvan Qadari, and Mr. Behrooz Rohani. A fourth Baha'i, Mr. Sayfi Ibrahim Sayfi, was also arrested and faces the possibility of deportation to Iraq. The three Baha'is of Iranian background all have successful businesses in Yemen, and their families are well established there. The arrests occurred in the capital, Sana’a, on the night of 20 June 2008, when some 20 armed security officers carried out raids at several Baha'i homes. During the raids, papers, CDs, photographs and a computer were also confiscated. Although no formal charges have been filed, government officials have indicated that the Baha'is were arrested on the suspicion of “proselytizing” in a manner against Yemeni law, which the Baha'is deny. Since their arrest, the Baha'i International Community has been working through diplomatic channels to obtain their release. “Our hope has been to prevent this case from becoming a major human rights matter, over the issue of religious persecution. Deportation to Iran would certainly be a matter for international concern, and such an action would be out of character with the Yemeni government’s past record on human rights issues. “Under international laws on the freedom of religion, there is no question that Baha'is – and others in Yemen – should be free to practice their faith. While the situation is still unfolding, we stand by the right of Baha'is in Yemen and elsewhere to practice their religion in all aspects, without the fear of being forced to leave their adopted country,” said Ms. Dugal. There are approximately 250 registered Baha'is in Yemen, and the community has enjoyed relative freedom for its members to quietly practice their faith.

40.7127281

-74.0060152

RIED

Austria

A musical life that goes on and on

A musical life that goes on and on RIED, Austria — Composer Russell Garcia is 92 years old and still making music. Not only that, he’s touring internationally. This week, in the town of Ried in northern Austria, in front of an audience of 200 people, he conducted a local orchestra and choir in a work that he and his wife created. Titled “A Path to Peace,” the piece was inspired by the Baha’i writings and includes original music by Mr. Garcia and lyrics by his 77-year-old wife, Gina Mauriello Garcia. Photographs and quotations projected above the stage illustrate conditions in the world that prevent peace, as well as ideas and principles that would promote peace. “My wife and I wrote this show because we thought there was a great need for people to understand these issues,” said Mr. Garcia, who in the 1950s and ‘60s was a composer, arranger, and conductor in Hollywood. He worked at MGM, Universal Studios, and NBC Studios, including for the TV shows “Rawhide” and “Laredo”; composed the score for the 1960 cult classic “The Time Machine”; and arranged and conducted the album “Porgy & Bess” featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, “He’s made music for many people like Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren and Charlie Chaplin,” said Faramarz Farid, a Baha’i in Austria who helped organize this week’s concert. “To have him here is really exciting. It is also important for people to understand the message in his show.” Mr. Garcia says he's never worked a day in his life. He says he just writes music and people pay him for it.“Everyone knows that peace is important, but many people don’t know how to find it,” Dr. Farid said. “As Baha’is we believe we have the solution, and that is what this show is about.... Baha’u’llah shows us how to find peace.” Near the beginning of the half-hour piece comes a quote from Albert Einstein: “War is dual suicide, nobody wins a war.” Then come Baha’i passages taken from “The Promise of World Peace,” a 1985 message to the world written by the Universal House of Justice. Mr. Garcia said he and his wife looked for nine major principles from the message and incorporated them in the work. Principles that promote peace include the equality of men and women, universal education, and the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty. “It’s very peaceful music,” said Arnold Renhardt, the director of the 17-person choir that performed at the concert. “I also think it has an important message. It shows that if people want, they can live together in peace.” Gottfried Tischler, who teaches Catholic theology at a public school in Ried and is not a Baha’i, was asked to read some of the quotations for the performance and said he was pleased to do so. “I think it is particularly important to offer people such events,” he said, “even if you risk having just 10 people who actually take up on this message. They will all benefit from it and then they can act as multipliers, taking the message to others.” Mr. Tischler noted that he was impressed with the mixed audience. “I saw people that I thought would never go to such a concert,” he said, adding that he would remember for a long time a song called "Glory in that you love all people.” He also said he thought all the listeners would take something home from the performance, whether it be an idea or an image – “especially the one sentence at the beginning of the show: ‘Peace or annihilation – YOU have the CHOICE.’” Mr. Tischler’s wife, Agnes, commented that the music made a deep impression on her but “the words were very important, too.” “I think it was very important for people to take these words home with them,” she said. Russell and Gina Garcia became Baha’is in 1955 and since then have worked to promote the teachings of Baha’u’llah. Both originally from the United States, they moved to New Zealand in 1969. “We’ve dedicated our lives to trying to build a better world,” said Mr. Garcia “I’m still receiving so many different offers that I have to turn down work.”

47.0576269

10.658961868466367

PORTICI

Italy

Youth program in tough town offers key ingredient – hope

Youth program in tough town offers key ingredient – hope PORTICI, Italy — Alberto Liccardi, 12, lives in the southern Italian city of Portici and says he has some advice for friends that hang out in the streets. “Instead of doing nothing in the middle of the road, come to the Baha’i Center. It is better for you,” he offers. Alberto is one of a handful of youth in Portici, a city of 60,000 just southeast of Naples, who have signed up for a Baha’i program for young teens that operates around Italy and elsewhere. There are about 25 such youth groups in Italy with more than 130 participants. Three-fourths of the youngsters come from outside the Baha’i community. Designed for youths aged 11 to 14, the program aims to help participants understand their spiritual nature, respect themselves and others, and be of service to the society around them. Yes, say organizers, the program may help keep kids off the streets where they can get into trouble, but the goals are loftier than that. Through discussion, service projects, the study of certain texts, games, and music, the youth gain an understanding of their nobility as human beings, said Antonella Demonte, the Baha’i in charge of the program in Italy. This in turn helps the youngsters resist negative peer pressure and can offer hope and a pattern for a life of service to others, she said. This is especially important where unemployment, crime, teen pregnancy, and other problems contribute to hopelessness among youth, she said. “Also, Portici is densely populated and faces economic problems – it is a challenging place to live,” she continued. Through discussion, service projects, the arts, and games, the classes in Portici help young people learn respect for themselves and others and how to serve the community.Like Alberto, Anna Deluca is only 12, but she is old enough to see what goes on among many of her peers. “They live in a bad situation,” she says. “They are always on the street, they fight, they smoke…. They live like they were already adults.… At 12 years old they already go dance in other cities, in discos.” Anna joined the Baha’i program last year, and she talks about responsibility and respect – two key themes of the curriculum. “Kids don’t have a sense of responsibility for their actions,” she says, “and they don’t respect anybody.” In Portici, organizers of what Baha’is call the “junior youth” program – in Italian, Attivita’ per giovanissimi – this month are starting their new year and, like last year, expect at least a dozen youngsters to sign up. Irene Cuce, a 21-year-old Baha’i student at Universita di Verona, spent six months in Portici volunteering with the program. She describes it as a project that helps youth learn about their own spiritual attributes through discussion and by providing service to their communities. “We can see the results from the program,” she says. “The youngsters feel more comfortable. They feel they can be something in their lives. They have respect for each other now – you can see it in the way they talk with each other.” Ciro Cangiano, 16, spent three years in the program and agrees that it helps young teenagers develop new values. “I discovered qualities I didn’t know I had,” he says, “like patience, like wanting to help others.” Concetta Rosetti, whose 12-year-old daughter, Carla, participates in the Baha’i program, seems equally enthusiastic. “I think my daughter has become more helpful compared to before. And she has always been insecure, but since she has been going to the Baha’i Center she has become more open to others, and more self-confident,” says Mrs. Rosetti. She hopes that what her daughter learns in the program will help her make her way in the world. “There are difficulties to find jobs, and unfortunately Portici doesn’t offer great opportunities for the future of our children,” she says. Ivana Carluccio, 32, a Baha’i in Portici, strongly supports the program, which she says addresses the causes of despair by focusing on the positive spiritual qualities in each person and the talents one has to help others. “When you work for this project, you realize that you are doing it because it’s the only solution, the only practical way to really help these youth,” Ms. Carluccio said. Raffaele Olivieri started in the program two years ago and indicates that things have changed for him: “I think this project gives the youth the possibility to have a more positive vision of their future and as a result the possibility of changing society.” About the program Groups are generally small – six to 12 youngsters – to provide ample opportunity for each person to participate, especially in discussion. In Portici, the 12 youths who joined last year were divided into two smaller groups for their classes, which met every Wednesday at the Baha’i Center. Each group is led by a trained animator, who often is just a few years older than the class members. The relationship between the animator and the participants is key, notes Caroline Custer, a Baha’i who is familiar with the program. “A special kind of relationship is established,” she says, “which stems from the way animators understand the unique potentialities and capacities of the youth.” “Also, the atmosphere of the meetings is unique,” she continues. “It is not like a class in school, yet it is not like an informal gathering of friends. The meetings are joyous but at the same time serious. “Another beautiful aspect of the program is the way material, intellectual, and spiritual excellence are all presented as important aims and are integrated in the junior youth activities.”

40.8189733

14.3387454

MELBOURNE

Australia

Melburnians turn to ‘Soul Food’ for nourishment

Melburnians turn to ‘Soul Food’ for nourishment MELBOURNE, Australia — Melbourne stands out as a multicultural metropolis – Malaysian restaurants, Japanese paper shops, music venues with bands from Senegal to Indonesia, all within strolling distance of one another. Not surprising, then, that Melburnians have adopted a Baha’i devotional meeting with a difference. Called “Soul Food,” the gathering – held once a month in a theater at the imposing State Library of Victoria – combines readings from the world’s great faiths with reflections from leading philosophers, interspersed with live and recorded music by some of Melbourne’s most noted performers. The program, which this year marks its third anniversary, at one point was listed at No.10 among “20 things to do in Melbourne,” published by the city’s main newspaper. The readings and music are augmented by photographs and videos that illustrate particular themes – generosity, the equality of men and women, purity of heart, unconditional love – all set against a candle-lit background. "It has been a great success, with participants coming from all backgrounds and walks of life, some even traveling from outside Melbourne to attend,” says Monib Mahdavi, who with his friend Nima Ferdowsi established the event, based on a similar one in Adelaide in South Australia. “(Soul Food) has clearly shown that there are many people in the community who share our vision and are seeking opportunities to explore their spiritual development,” Mr. Mahdavi says. The event quickly built a following, with average attendance around 120 people, he says. Kristian Hetyey, who was brought up Catholic and now is investigating other religions, is a regular at the gathering. “It helps me reflect on the month, I guess it’s that internal reflection where you just think about things,” he says. “Sometimes in life it’s easy to just keep plowing through the challenges of every day, but this removes you from the everyday; it questions our existence, it prompts you in a way that provides insight and wisdom. Some of the musicians who perform at Soul Food are well-known locally, and a diversity of instruments and styles is presented.“Obviously it draws on all religions throughout history, and some of the most amazing concepts that the world has ever known, so from that point of view it’s a great combination of things which I haven’t found anywhere else,” he says. “It’s only about an hour, but it can be really powerful,” he continues. “Essentially it’s building unity in our society, which most religions don’t do.” Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, with a population of well over 3 million in the metropolitan area. The Soul Food gathering is the first Sunday of each month, at 10:30 a.m. On 7 September, the theme of the morning was “Prison of Self.” Playing live music was Bob Sedergreen, winner of a jazz award as Australia’s best keyboardist. Quotations, complemented by videos and photographs projected on a screen, came from Confucius, Albert Einstein, Khalil Gibran, James Joyce, St. Teresa of Avila, and Oscar Wilde. The religious readings came from the Baha’i writings, an indigenous American elder, Hindu scripture, Islam, the Bible, and Zen Buddhism. “I feel blissful when sitting in the room, listening to the music and quotations and watching the always appropriately selected pictures,” said Monica Subai, who attends regularly. The music “I am always amazed how carefully and lovingly the program is put together,” said Ms. Subai, who is not a member of the Baha’i community. “It is very powerful with its message about world peace, humanity, and everything else that is offered to the audience. And the live music is really a treat.” Ruth Roshan books the musicians. “I try to have a great diversity of instruments and styles,” she says, “and I’m very keen on high-quality performances. “And, of course, it has to suit the reverence and atmosphere of Soul Food. In the Baha’i teachings, music is a ladder for the soul, and utilizing performance helps people open up,” she says. Most of the performers are not Baha’is, she notes, and many are well-known in Melbourne. “Because Soul Food is such a service for people to sit down and think and reflect, (the musicians) are very happy to perform, and they get such great feedback from the people who attend,” she says. Mr. Ferdowsi, one of the founders, says the performances sometimes go beyond music. “We’ve also featured dancers, and we have had people in the past do tai chi moves to the music,” he says. “All of these performances are respectful to the writings, and bring out the spirit of what’s being read.” “Soul Food is a simple concept but a unique one, which allows people to enjoy inspiring writings without feeling like they have to make an immediate commitment.” “Also,” he adds, “the music is absolutely beautiful.” (Article for Baha’i World News Service by Corinne Podger, with additional material from Australian Baha’i News.)

-37.8142176

144.9631608

SAN DIEGO

United States

Baha’i Studies conference attracts 1,400 people from 23 countries

Baha’i Studies conference attracts 1,400 people from 23 countries SAN DIEGO, United States — The 32nd annual conference of the North American Association for Baha’i Studies drew some 1,400 people from 23 countries - the largest-ever representation from outside the United States and Canada. The gathering, held this year in San Diego, had as its theme “Religion and Social Cohesion.” The four-day conference concluded on 1 September. The presenter of the 26th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture was Hushmand Fatheazam, former member of the Universal House of Justice, who offered “Some Observations on the Scope and Value of Baha’i Scholarship.” The speaker for the opening plenary was Paul Lample, member of the Universal House of Justice, who spoke on “Learning and the Unfoldment of the Baha’i Community.” In the past decade, Baha’is around the world have focused on how to develop a “culture of learning,” a concept that was central to Mr. Lample’s talk. “The culture of learning that is emerging is characterized by dialogue rather than debate, by constructive experience at the grassroots level rather than elaborate planning from the top, by systematization rather than freneticism, by reflective refinement rather than derogatory criticism,” he said. Mr. Lample elaborated several times on the well-known Baha’i belief that science and religion are not in conflict. Hushmand Fatheazam, former member of the Universal House of Justice, presents the 26th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture at the conference of the North American Association for Baha’i Studies.“The Baha’i teachings,” he said at one point, “offer an approach to reality that encompasses a scientific worldview but is more comprehensive, addressing a wider range of questions that are essential to human progress.” (A copy of Mr. Lample’s speech is available at http://www.bahai-studies.ca/conferences.php.) Mr. Fatheazam shared personal stories and insights drawn from his decades of Baha’i service, including 40 years as one of the nine elected members of the Universal House of Justice. While underlining the vital contributions of Baha’i scholarship to the development of the Baha’i Faith and the progress of society, he cautioned against the temptations of intellectual pride that scholars from all traditions have historically been susceptible to, and urged Baha'is to pursue paths of scholarship with the utmost humility. Mr. Fatheazam promoted scholarship as the continued independent search for truth incumbent upon all human beings. He highlighted the importance of this role by emphasizing the two identities of the Baha’i Faith, one as a religion, described through the analogy of the tree, and one as a limitless reality, described through the analogy of light. Others who addressed the conference during plenary sessions, and their topics, included: -- Joy DeGruy, “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome.” -- Robert Rosenfeld, “Creating a Mosaic: A Journey to Social Cohesion.” -- Ismael Velasco, “Achieving Reconciliation in a Conflicting World.” -- Mary Darling and Clark Donnelly, who talked about their television series “Little Mosque on the Prairie,” broadcast in more than 80 countries. -- Mojgan Sami, “From Counting to Contributing: Moving from Participation to Partnership in the Advancement of Civilization.” -- Nazanin Zargarpour, chairing a panel of young scholars who addressed “Scholarship, Practice, and the Five Year Plan.” Panelists included Ashkan Monfared, Eric Harper, Kamal Sinclair, and Jenny Wilson. Dozens of other speakers gave presentations in the break-out sessions. (See article about prayer and healing.) More information about this and past ABS conferences is available on the ABS Web site.

32.7174202

-117.1627728

SAN DIEGO

United States

Praying for the sick – can science prove it helps?

Praying for the sick – can science prove it helps? SAN DIEGO, United States — Proving scientifically that it helps to pray for a sick person is an elusive proposition, says Dr. Taeed Quddusi, one of the speakers at the 32nd annual conference of the North American Association for Baha’i Studies. The first problem, he said, is designing an experiment, given that we are not sure of the desired result of a prayer. “Is the point of prayer to prolong life?” he said during an interview after the conference. He proceeded to answer, based on his understanding of the Baha’i teachings: “The point of our existence on this planet isn’t simply a longer life. The point of our existence is to know God, to worship God, to serve God.” What about cases in which prolonging life would mean condemning a person to additional suffering, he asked. Then what is the desired result of the prayer? And if we are not sure what effect we are seeking when we pray, how can a scientist assess the success of a prayer? “We don’t really know what we are measuring,” Dr. Quddusi said. “The Effects of Prayer on Healing and Recovery: A Review of the Literature” was the title of his presentation at one of the break-out sessions of the four-day Association for Baha’i Studies conference, which wound up on 1 September in San Diego. (See article.) Dr. Quddusi, in his third year as a resident surgeon in otolaryngology at the University of Manitoba in Canada, says his review of the literature showed that studies of the efficacy of prayer have come up with mixed results. But “meta-analysis” – where results are aggregated – shows no measurable effect, he states. Does this mean prayer doesn’t work? No, he says, because, in addition to the problem of determining what to measure, there are many factors that confuse the issue – factors that don’t necessarily lend themselves to scientific analysis. For example: -- Does the fervency of the prayer matter? If so, how do you measure it? -- Does the number of people praying for a sick person make a difference? -- What about the worthiness of the “recipient” of the prayers? And what role does divine forgiveness play? -- Should you take into account the seriousness of the illness? -- Does the professed religion of the people involved, or absence of religion, influence the outcome? -- Is it possible to have a true control group, given that people are always praying for other people, and the grace of God is constant and limitless? In his presentation, Dr. Quddusi quoted a number of passages from the Baha’i writings indicating that prayer is essential but also that the effects of prayer are not always obvious. Baha’i teachings about prayer He said the Baha’i writings include the following: “Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise.” Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith who is considered by His followers to be a Messenger of God, instructs people to resort to “competent physicians” in times of sickness, but He also reveals prayers containing supplications for healing. Some of the prayers for healing were described in the following way by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah and appointed interpreter of His teachings: “The prayers which were revealed to ask for healing apply both to physical and spiritual healing. Recite them, then, to heal both the soul and the body. If healing is right for the patient, it will certainly be granted; but for some ailing persons, healing would only be the cause of other ills, and therefore wisdom doth not permit an affirmative answer to the prayer.” Dr. Quddusi also read this quotation from ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “Ask whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone…. With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a glance He healeth a hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth balm on every wound.” ‘Abdu’l-Baha talks specifically about prayer and healing in this passage read by Dr. Quddusi: “Disease is of two kinds: material and spiritual. Take for instance, a cut hand; if you pray for the cut to be healed and do not stop its bleeding, you will not do much good; a material remedy is needed.” And more: “Illness caused by physical accident should be treated with medical remedies; those which are due to spiritual causes disappear through spiritual means…. Both kinds of remedies should be considered. Moreover, they are not contradictory, and thou shouldst accept the physical remedies as coming from the mercy and favor of God, who hath revealed and made manifest medical science so that His servants may profit from this kind of treatment also. Thou shouldst give equal attention to spiritual treatments, for they produce marvelous effects.” In another quotation read by Dr. Quddusi, ‘Abdu’l-Baha describes specifically how a prayer for the sick might work: “(Spiritual healing) results from the entire concentration of the mind of a strong person upon a sick person, when the latter expects with all his concentrated faith that a cure will be effected from the spiritual power of the strong person, to such an extent that there will be a cordial connection between the strong person and the invalid. The strong person makes every effort to cure the sick patient, and the sick patient is then sure of receiving a cure…. “But all this has effect only to a certain extent, and that not always. For if someone is afflicted with a very violent disease, or is wounded, these means will not remove the disease nor close and heal the wound.” Scientific research Dr. Quddusi said he would be eager to see a study based on the description from ‘Abdu’l-Baha about how prayer can work. But the doctor pointed out that even in the unlikely event one could design an appropriate experiment (“How do you find someone who is ‘spiritually strong’?” he asked), it would be difficult to prove anything, given that ‘Abdu’l-Baha himself said the prayers would have an effect “only to a certain extent, and that not always.” So far, Dr. Quddusi said, scientific research on the efficacy of prayers for healing has been in situations completely different from that described by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. For example, in some studies, patients in a specific coronary care unit in the United States were assessed for how well they fared after heart surgery. In each study, half the patients were randomly selected to have a person or persons unknown to them say prayers for their recovery. The patients were not told if they were among those being prayed for. Dr. Quddusi said that in general, no measurable effects of prayer were found, a result he does not find surprising given the circumstances. In fact, at one point in his presentation, he posed the question of whether God would turn away from His intended purpose because of a human’s expressing their desires. He quoted from a study by Dr. Edward C. Halperin, a researcher at Duke University: “One would have difficulty accepting the concept of a God who preferentially heals people who, in a clinical trial, are selected to be prayed for by strangers rather than healing those randomly assigned to receive no prayer. God should not be conceived of as so capricious.” And from a study by L. Roberts et al: “An omnipotent God may be noncompliant with the limitations of a randomized controlled trial, (resulting in) contamination of both control and intervention group….” Dr. Quddusi also posed whether intercessory prayers were a form of “testing God,” and quoted from the Bible: “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God”; Luke 4:12. (Earlier in the presentation, he had quoted another verse: “Ask and ye shall receive”; John 16:24.) In his talk, he even offered two quotations from scientists about whether prayers for healing could be harmful: -- “Religious people who become upset by the belief that God has abandoned them or who become dependent on their faith, rather than their medical treatment, for recovery may inadvertently subvert the success of their recovery.” – Lynda Powell et al, in American Psychologist. -- “Are the prayers reaching a Higher Power that might, upon having Its attention called to a nonbeliever, actually respond to the request unfavorably?” – Dr. Julie Goldstein. Dr. Quddusi concluded his presentation by stating that he did not believe scientific research into the efficacy of prayer was blasphemous, as some people have suggested. But he acknowledged later that he was doubtful that science will ever be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of prayer in promoting healing. Does that matter? “No, I guess not,” he admits. “But it would be cool to prove it.”

32.7174202

-117.1627728

NEW YORK

United States

Iran’s new school year again excludes Baha’is

Iran’s new school year again excludes Baha’is NEW YORK, United States — As the new academic year got under way, young Baha'is in Iran again found the door to higher education closed. Although in its public stance the Iranian government maintains that Baha'is are free to attend university, reports over the past few weeks indicate that the policy of preventing Baha'is from obtaining higher education remains in effect. Baha'i students attempting to gain admittance to universities and other institutions this fall found that their entrance examination results were frozen and their files listed as “incomplete” on the Web site of the national testing organization. Baha’is who had successfully enrolled in universities in previous years continue to be expelled. And those who have sought redress through the courts have been disappointed, their cases rejected. “As has been the case for the last four years, the Iranian government continues to use a series of devious ploys to prevent young Iranian Baha’is from receiving higher education,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The effect of the government’s policies is to close the doors of universities to Baha’is, despite Iran’s supposed commitment to international laws upholding the right to education. “Our plea to the international community, and especially to professors, administrators and students everywhere, is that they raise their voices on behalf of Iranian Baha’i students,” said Ms. Dugal. According to reports from Iran, the principal method this year by which authorities are preventing Baha’is from enrolling in university is by blocking their examination results and declaring their files “incomplete.” The tactic was used last year, too, but this year it became evident that many of the Baha’i students had been identified earlier in the application process. When they tried to log on to the national university examination Web site, rather than seeing their exam results, they got a Web page with the words “Error – incomplete file.” (See screen shot in Persian, and English translation.) The Web page to which they were automatically directed had a URL (Internet address) ending with the words “error_bah” – an apparent reference to the fact that their files were declared in “error” because they were Baha’is. (The complete address was http://82.99.202.139/karsarasari/87/index.php?msg=error_bah) The error message is displayed despite the fact that Baha’i students had dutifully filled out all required information and successfully sat for the examination. Last year, for the 2007-2008 academic year, of the more than 1,000 Baha’i students who sat for and satisfactorily completed the entrance examination, nearly 800 were excluded because of "incomplete files." Without complete files, enrollment in all public and most private universities in Iran is impossible. Students who have contested the fact that their files were improperly listed as incomplete have so far met a deaf ear in Iranian courts. In a ruling last April in Branch 1 of the Court of Administrative Justice, a Baha’i student who filed a grievance against the national Education Measurement and Evaluation Organization (EMEO) had his case dismissed. “In light of the fact that the (EMEO) does not recognize the plaintiff as having fulfilled the requirements, the plaintiff’s case has no merit and is thus dismissed,” the court ruled. (See court document in Persian, and English translation.) The same court rejected the claim of another Baha’i university student who had been expelled because of his religious belief and had approached the court seeking readmission. In rejecting that case, the court made a reference to the 1991 Golpaygani memorandum which outlines a broad plan to block the “progress and development” of the entire Iranian Baha’i community, including by expelling Baha’i university students. The court wrote, “Considering that the plaintiff meets the criteria as defined by the (1991 Golgaypani memorandum) ratified by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and is thus considered to have failed and has no valid argument to prove that there has been a violation of the guidelines in order to justify his claim, his grievance is not recognized.” (See court document in Persian, and English translation.) Recent reports also indicate that Baha’is who are enrolled in universities – and there are now very few such Baha’is – continue to be expelled as their religious beliefs become known. In August, for example, a student at Fazilat University was just three weeks from graduation when she was brought before authorities; when she refused to recant her faith, she was dismissed from the university. Despite a record of deceitful dealings by the government, there is increasing evidence of support for Bahá'í students by many Iranians, both inside and outside of Iran. Notable among them was an article by Ahmad Batebi, a prominent human rights activist now in exile. That article, “The Bahá’ís and Higher Education in Iran,” published 2 September 2008 in Rooz Online, protests the denial to Bahá’ís of access to higher education and the persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran generally. (See article in English and Persian.)

40.7127281

-74.0060152

SYDNEY

Australia

Blog Action Day creates unity for social action, says organizer

Blog Action Day creates unity for social action, says organizer SYDNEY, Australia — Bloggers everywhere – including people who write some of the most subscribed-to blogs in the world – will discuss the subject of poverty during the second annual Blog Action Day, set for 15 October. So far more than 8,000 bloggers with an estimated 10 million readers have committed to the project, and – if last year’s Blog Action Day is an indication – the numbers could increase significantly by the end of the designated day. TechCrunch, LifeHacker, ReadWriteWeb, and ProBlogger are among the well-known blogs that have signed on. One of the main organizers, Collis Ta’eed, says the concept of Blog Action Day fits well with his Baha’i beliefs and his understanding of Baha’i teachings about social action. “Our idea is to give bloggers a platform and enable them to take a day out of their schedule to do something socially positive,” said Mr. Ta’eed, an Australian who works internationally as a professional Web designer. “It puts Baha’i principles into action in the sense that people should get outside themselves and do something for the greater community,” he continued. “The Baha’i Faith puts a big responsibility on the individual to take action.” The Internet in general, and blogging specifically, offer a unique way of communicating, and Blog Action Day plugs into that, said Mr. Ta’eed. Collis and Cyan Ta’eed are two of the principal organizers of Blog Action Day. ‘Our idea is to give bloggers a platform and enable them to take a day out of their schedule to do something socially positive,’ Mr. Ta’eed said.One quarter of the world’s top 100 blogs (as listed by Technorati) have signed up to participate, he said. The idea of Blog Action Day is for blog publishers to view a critical social issue from their own perspective, and do it all at once, in effect generating a multi-faceted global discussion on a specific topic. “If your blog normally deals with finance, then you would discuss poverty from that angle,” Mr. Ta’eed said. “If your blog normally deals with technology, you would discuss it from that angle.” He said that bloggers wanting to support the project can go to www.blogactionday.org and register, and anyone can check the same Web site for other avenues of participation, including calling in to a 12-hour radio talk-a-thon on BlogTalkRadio. The event is not-for-profit, and there are no fees. Persons wanting to make a monetary contribution – and one of the suggestions to bloggers is to donate the day’s income – should do so to a charity of their choice or to an official Blog Action Day charity listed on the Web site, Mr. Ta’eed said. Leo Babauta, author of the hugely popular ZenHabits blog and another of the organizers of Blog Action Day, said the project brings together thousands of conversations happening on different blogs. “It forms a huge conversation about one important topic, and in changing the conversation, we change people’s thinking and their actions,” said Mr. Babauta, who is not a Baha’i. He said he always hopes that his blogging work will engage people in dialogue and change lives “at least a little.” Blog Action Day is the “ultimate extension of that hope,” he said. “When Collis (Ta’eed) asked me to help him start it up in 2007, I jumped at the opportunity,” he said. “This is what blogging should be.” Last year’s Blog Action Day focused on the subject of the environment. More than 20,000 bloggers participated, offering input from thousands of unique perspectives, Mr. Ta’eed said. The project keys into the “unity in diversity” often discussed by Baha’is, he noted. A passage from the Baha’i writings also helped guide him, he said. “The quotation says the ‘honor and distinction of the individual’ consists of him being a source of social good,” Mr. Ta’eed said. The idea of Blog Action day is “to empower all the thousands of bloggers to do just that,” he said.

-33.8548157

151.2164539

HAIFA

Israel

Baha'is to mark Birth of the Bab

Baha'is to mark Birth of the Bab HAIFA, Israel — Baha'is around the world will observe a holy day - the Birth of the Bab - on 20 October. One of nine holy days on which Baha'is suspend work, the date marks the anniversary of the birth - in 1819 in Shiraz, Iran - of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, known to history as the Bab. In 1844, the Bab announced that He was the Promised One foretold in the great religions and that His mission was to alert people to the imminent coming of an even greater Divine Messenger, namely Baha'u'llah. Baha'is consider both the Bab and Baha'u'llah to be Messengers of God. The Bab, who was a descendent of the prophet Muhammad through both His father and mother, attracted tens of thousands of followers in His native land. In 1850, by order of the government, He was executed in the public square of Tabriz, in northern Iran. His remains were later brought to Haifa and entombed on Mount Carmel. His shrine, with its golden dome, is the most famous landmark of Haifa. There is no prescribed ceremony or service for celebrating the anniversary of the Birth of the Bab. Baha'is often plan devotional meetings or musical programs and gather for activities and fellowship.

32.8191218

34.9983856

UNITED NATIONS

United States

UN report cites Iranian government’s violations against Baha’is

UN report cites Iranian government’s violations against Baha’is UNITED NATIONS, United States — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concern over human rights violations in Iran against Baha'is, other minorities, women and juveniles. In a 20-page document released on Monday, Mr. Ban responded to a request from the General Assembly last December for a “comprehensive report” on the human rights situation in Iran. While noting some positive achievements, Mr. Ban stated that although Iran’s constitution guarantees a wide range of fundamental freedoms, “in practice there are a number of serious impediments to the full protection of human rights.” His report expressed concern about the use of torture, a “high incidence of executions,” and “an increase in rights violations targeting women, university students, teachers, workers and other activist groups.” The report devoted nearly a full page to the situation of Iran’s 300,000-member Baha’i community, which is that country’s largest religious minority. The report points out that Article 14 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran stipulates “protection for non-Muslims.” Yet, “reports continue to be received about members of the Baha’i community being subjected to arbitrary detention, false imprisonment, confiscation and destruction of property, denial of employment and government benefits, and denial of access to higher education,” Mr. Ban’s report said. “A significant increase has been reported in violence targeting Baha’is and their homes, shops, farms and cemeteries throughout the country. There have also been several cases involving torture or ill-treatment in custody.” Mr. Ban expressed concern over the harassment of Baha'i schoolchildren and the arrest of seven Baha'i leaders earlier this year. “While the secretary general’s report recognizes some advances that Iran may have made, it points out that the government of that country has committed many clear and egregious violations of human rights against Baha'is and others,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. “It is important to note that the report comes directly from a request last year by the General Assembly in its resolution on Iran, demonstrating once again the critical role of the international community in bringing human rights violations to light,” Ms. Dugal said. “We hope that the General Assembly will pass a resolution again this year to put pressure on Iran to meet its commitments to international standards,” she said. To read the full report: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/63/459

NEW YORK

United States

Iranian report confirms innocence of Shiraz Baha'is

Iranian report confirms innocence of Shiraz Baha'is NEW YORK, United States — An Iranian inspector who examined the 2006 arrests of a group of young Baha’is in Shiraz, Iran, filed a confidential report dated June 2008 confirming what Baha’is have said all along: that their activities were strictly humanitarian in nature and did not involve the “illegal” teaching of the Baha’i Faith. The report – signed by Vali Rustami, inspector and legal advisor of the Office of the Representative of the Supreme Leader for the province of Fars – was published by the Human Rights Activists of Iran on 23 October. The report was addressed to the representative of the Supreme Leader in the province and states that it was done at his request. Three of the 54 Baha’is who were arrested were later sentenced to four-year prison terms and are still incarcerated in Shiraz. The report states that not only was there no mention of religion in their activities, but that youths who attended the classes told him they wanted to continue. “They stated ‘We … truthfully learned a lot from this group and would like them to come back to us again,’” the investigator said in his report. A Baha’i spokeswoman said the report underscores the injustice perpetrated against the Baha’is. “It is a manifest injustice that the young Baha’is of Shiraz continue to remain in prison when even an internal investigation has essentially proved their innocence, even under the twisted terms that define criminality in Iran,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “The government’s lies are indefensible,” she added. The arrests in May 2006 garnered international news media attention and prompted expressions of concern by many governments. This report dated 16 June 2008 says that three young Baha'is who are still in prison in Shiraz were involved only in nonreligious educational activities. They were convicted of engaging in subversive anti-government "propaganda."The group, composed of 54 young Baha’is and a number of Muslim friends, had been engaged since 2004 in a series of humanitarian projects to promote literacy and moral empowerment among underprivileged youth in and around Shiraz, mostly through small-group classes organized on Friday mornings in poor neighborhoods. Members of the group were rounded up by government agents on 19 May 2006. While their Muslim colleagues and one Baha’i among them were released immediately, 53 Baha’is were held for periods ranging from several days to more than a month. Then, in mid 2007, they were convicted on spurious charges, apparently relating to accusations that they had been engaged in the “indirect teaching” of the Baha’i Faith, considered illegal in Iran despite international laws upholding freedom of religion. Later, in January 2008, while speaking to journalists about the imprisonment of three of the group, a government spokesman said they had been engaged in anti-government "propaganda.” However, the confidential report, issued 16 June 2008 and addressed to the “representative of the Supreme Leader in the province (of Fars) and the Imam Jum’ih of Shiraz,” states that all of those interviewed for his investigation indicated there was no mention of the Baha’i Faith during the classes – essentially contradicting the government’s claim. The investigator states, for example, that he interviewed local young people who participated in classes led by the Baha’is, as well as a retired police colonel, and all stated that the classes were strictly educational in nature. “‘From the beginning of their activities…, these individuals held these charitable, humanitarian classes once a week, helping junior youth and youth,’” the report says, quoting a retired police colonel by the name of Jeddi. “‘The activities of these classes were writing, drawing, and teaching hygiene and moral values, and there was no mention of religious or political matters. There was never any mention or any statement regarding Bahaism.’” Inspector Rustami also said he interviewed eight of the young people who participated in the classes. “They stated that this group had been involved in activities such as teaching moral education, drawing, calligraphy, social skills, and that there had been no discussion concerning politics, or discussions which were against religious, legal and cultural standards.” The three Baha’is in prison are Haleh Rouhi, Raha Sabet, and Sasan Taqva. Last January, Amnesty International issued an action alert on their behalf, suggesting they were prisoners of conscience, held solely for their religious beliefs. Ms. Dugal said the arrests and imprisonment of the Baha’is have always been wrongful, since in any event international law protects the right to “teach” one’s religion. “However, in this case, no such ‘teaching’ was done,” she said. “The Baha’is and their Muslim colleagues were solely engaged in a humanitarian effort to serve poor children and young people in their region through free classes in literacy, hygiene, and the promotion of good moral values. “For this effort, three Baha’is are being held in prison, which, in light of this new report, has become a matter of unconscionable cruelty, One of the individuals imprisoned went for a time without proper medical treatment for an injury to his leg, suffered after an automobile accident. “Our hope now is that with the public release of this report, the Iranian government will release the three and exonerate them and the other 50 people.” “Further,” said Ms. Dugal, “we would expect the Iranian government to end its long-running campaign to blacken the name of Iranian Baha’is through similar false charges – and to release others that have been similarly accused, such as the seven Baha’i leaders currently being held in Evin prison.” (To visit the Web site of Human Rights Activists of Iran, which has the original document in Persian, go to: http://hrairan.org/Archive_87/1135.html) Editor's note: Details were added to the second paragraph of this article on 26 October 2008 to reflect more fully the identifying information on the inspector's report.

40.7127281

-74.0060152

UNITED NATIONS

United States

Baha’is observe International Day for Eradication of Poverty

Baha’is observe International Day for Eradication of Poverty UNITED NATIONS, United States — Asked to open a United Nations meeting on poverty, Kevin Locke recited an “eagle” prayer in his native Lakota Sioux dialect. “The eagle is a symbol of the ascendant nature of the human spirit, of the innate capacity of the human spirit to rise to nobility,” explained Mr. Locke at a UN roundtable to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The event was held 17 October. “The eagle is compelled to fly upward,” he said. “The eagle sees the light of the new day and in its joy calls out, ‘I am the first to fly with the new day.’” And then, referring to global efforts to eliminate poverty, Mr. Locke said, “We are all striving to escape the darkness.” His contribution to the UN roundtable was one of a number of efforts that Baha’is around the world undertook in support of the poverty-awareness day, established by the UN in 1993. -- In Uganda, the Baha’i community organized two events, a press conference to present a statement on poverty eradication and a special service at the Baha’i House of Worship in Kampala. Also, a Baha’i representative participated in a nationally televised program about poverty. -- In Australia, Baha’is co-sponsored a panel discussion titled “Eradicating Poverty: Educating Girls.” Representatives from government and academia offered comments, as did two young girls aged 7 and 11. UNIFEM Australia (the UN Fund for Women) was co-sponsor of the event, which was also supported by AusAID, the Australian government’s aid agency. -- In Germany, a “poverty tool kit” was created for use by local Baha’i communities in observing the day. The kit contained a PowerPoint presentation, documents offering Baha’i perspectives on poverty eradication, and selections from the Baha’i holy writings on the importance of eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty. -- In Argentina, Baha’is in Buenos Aires planned an extensive program featuring devotions, a talk on “the spiritual solution to the economic problems,” and several artistic presentations, including a play about two young people from different social and economic backgrounds. Other events featuring Baha’i participation were planned in El Salvador, Kenya, Mauritius, and the United States. Mr. Locke, a Baha’i who is well-known as a Native American flutist and hoop dancer, was invited by the Baha’i International Community to the UN roundtable in part because he is from the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, one of the poorest areas of the United States. Tahirih Naylor, a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, also addressed the roundtable, which was titled “Turning rhetoric into action -- building effective partnership to combat poverty and exclusion.” The event brought together more than two dozen government representatives, UN officials, activists, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations. Ms. Naylor spoke as chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development, stressing the importance of bringing new voices into the discussion on how to end poverty. “We have to see this as a learning process,” she said. “Some say we already know all this…. But to really engage in looking at what true participation is, we have to listen and to have an attitude of learning as we approach the development of these programs and policies.” Baha’i communities around the world in recent years have instituted both short- and long-term development projects, ranging from grassroots activities in villages to integrated agencies serving a wide range of needs in a given region. “(Poverty Eradication) Day is an opportunity to recognize existing efforts, renew commitments, and set new goals,” said Ms. Naylor. “Baha’i communities around the world seek to contribute their perspectives and lessons learned in their work at the local and national levels towards this aim in their commemorations.”

ISTANBUL

Turkey

UN convenes Global Forum of faith groups

UN convenes Global Forum of faith groups ISTANBUL, Turkey — The Baha’i International Community was among the religious groups and nongovernmental organizations that participated in a two-day Global Forum of Faith-based Organizations, convened by the United Nations Population Fund. The gathering, held in Istanbul on 20-21 October, addressed population and development issues related to HIV-AIDS, reproductive health, gender equality, and violence against women. Fulya Vekiloglu, who specializes in women’s issues and serves as a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, attended. In an intervention during a panel discussion on “Violence against Women and Women’s Empowerment,” she stressed the need for attitude change and how faith-based organizations have a unique role in this regard. She also read a short Bahá'í prayer at the closing ceremony of the Global Forum.

41.0091982

28.9662187

NEBBI DISTRICT

WEST NILE REGION

Uganda

Ugandan project doesn’t stop at literacy

Ugandan project doesn’t stop at literacy NEBBI DISTRICT, WEST NILE REGION, Uganda — Being literate means being able to read useful information – that's why the first unit in the UPLIFT literacy program tells how to treat malaria. Later units deal with farming methods, nutrition, hygiene and safety, making compost, environmental challenges, and so on. "When I compare my condition and that of my friends who have not attended UPLIFT courses, I can see a big difference," says villager Alisa Poli, speaking in Alur, the main language in this part of Uganda. Earlier this year – at the age of 63 – she began the UPLIFT program and already can read. The “T” in UPLIFT stands for transformation, a concept at the heart of the program, says program director Hizzaya Hissani. The full name of the initiative is the Uganda Program of Literacy for Transformation. “UPLIFT uses literacy as a vehicle for social and economic transformation,” explains Dr. Hissani, who with five fellow Baha’is began the program in 2001. Since that time, more than 6,700 local residents have completed the literacy training, and – with new support from the Norwegian and Ugandan governments – UPLIFT has committed to training 4,000 more people by the end of 2009. What participants learn Those who have been through the course – UPLIFT uses the term “learners” – tend to talk about its holistic nature rather than the isolated skill of reading. “My attitude about things has changed a lot,” says Kulastika Okwong, a 61-year-old mother of seven who has completed the UPLIFT training. “I was really ignorant. I didn’t know how to treat malaria, and I didn’t know how to make compost…. We lived day-to-day. We ate all the food I produced, and we had no savings.” Mrs. Okwong, whose husband is one of 10 field coordinators for UPLIFT, says she used to feel like a “dependent” person; since going through the training she feels more independent. “I used to go to witch doctors when someone was sick, but now I try medicine made of neem leaves. If that doesn’t work, we go to the health center,” she says. “I used to think that school meetings were a waste of time, but now I see they are important. Reading books is important, too.” For the past year she has worked as a community health assistant, appointed by the government. She is one of about 10 former UPLIFT participants who have been asked to do this type of work. “If it was not for UPLIFT, I wouldn’t have been appointed,” she says. Hizzaya Hissani, UPLIFT program director, uses a bicycle to travel from village to village to monitor the program and consult with participants.Mrs. Okwong and her family live in Ogido, one of 73 villages in the Nebbi District where UPLIFT is active. The Nebbi District – population 500,000 – is one of the poorest areas of Uganda, located in the northwest section of the country, far from the capital of Kampala and the international airport at Entebbe. Subsistence agriculture and fishing form the basis of the local economy. The district is divided into 19 subcounties, and UPLIFT is active in 11 of them. Dr. Hissani, who is originally from neighboring Kenya, first visited the West Nile region of Uganda in 1999. “I was shocked to find that 12 people had recently died of malaria,” he recounts. “On further investigation, I found that these people were illiterate and that there was gross land mismanagement in their farming operations.” He consulted with several Baha’i friends in Uganda who worked in development and they came up with the idea of the UPLIFT program. How the program works Dr. Hissani, who has a doctorate in the field of functional literacy, worked out a curriculum that speeds literacy by having students learn certain key words, then break them down into syllables and use those syllables to form new words. Learning to read with texts that discuss malaria and farming methods – subjects of immediate importance to the lives of the participants – helps motivate the students and makes the program more useful to them. “The approach is to look at the needs of the community as a whole and to relate the content of the program to the lives of the learners,” Dr. Hissani said. Each class is led by a trained mentor, who in turn reports to a coordinator. UPLIFT currently has about 100 active mentors, all volunteers, and 10 coordinators who receive small salaries. The program used to average about 45 people to a class, but with the expansion made possible by a grant from the Norwegian government, and in-kind support from the Ugandan government, the classes now average around 70 people. Learners attend class – often in the open air, often sitting on mats – twice a week for a year (except during harvest season). The experience of UPLIFT has been that about 90 percent of the participants become functionally literate with the year. So far the program has operated in the Alur language, but Dr. Hissani says they have begun field-testing an English version. English and Swahili are the official languages of Uganda but many other languages are spoken locally. One key element of the program has turned out to be the response from women in the Nebbi District – so far more than 80 percent of UPLIFT participants have been female. (Mrs. Okwong points out that as a child, her brothers were sent to school but she was obligated to stay home and cook and do domestic work. She says she always was looking for the opportunity to learn to read and write.) Another key to the success of the program is the acceptance of people from different faiths – not just Baha’is but Christians, Muslims and others are among the mentors and the learners. One of the activities now associated with UPLIFT is interfaith devotional programs where participants read passages from different faith traditions. Results Opio Hannington, a local official in the Panyango subcounty in the Nebbi District, said his office has been working with UPLIFT for four years and that he is highly encouraged by results. “UPLIFT has created a sense of unity, awareness to demand services, and cooperation,” he said. “It has brought collaboration … and understanding.” Hassan Ringtho, chairperson of the local government in Paidha subcounty, said UPLIFT has been particularly effective with older people. “Before, old people thought that they could not learn,” he said, “But now they believe they can learn…. Now they feel they have the ability to change their way of life.” He stressed the point that attitudes can change. “If one used to spend the whole day drinking, and now he drinks for only one hour, hasn’t the attitude changed?” he asked. “People follow models and examples. UPLIFT officials are the models and examples.” Alfred Okwai, one of the UPLIFT coordinators, said the program specifically tries to train mentors to be role models to the community. “Most of our mentors are positively different from others who did not attend the course,” he noted. Mrs. Poli, the 63-year-old who recently learned to read through the UPLIFT program, recounts many ways her life has changed. “Before, I could not bother with cleanliness at home,” she says. “Now, after realizing that hygiene is the basis for health, I have built a pit latrine, a kitchen, a drying rack, even an animal shelter.” She says she also has joined a small “savings group” initiated by some UPLIFT learners so that she could begin saving money.

LUSAKA

Zambia

Zambia gathering is first in series of 41 conferences

Zambia gathering is first in series of 41 conferences LUSAKA, Zambia — Some 750 Baha’is from Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe gathered in Lusaka last weekend for the first of 41 regional Baha’i conferences scheduled over the next four months in cities around the globe. The unprecedented series of gatherings comes at the midway point of a five-year effort by Baha’is to decentralize many of their activities and organize study circles, devotional meetings, and classes for children and young people at the neighborhood level. “I feel that the conference was exactly what we needed to inspire, encourage and boost our spirit…,” said Musonda Kapusa of Lusaka. Participants came from all nine provinces of Zambia and from neighboring Malawi and Zimbabwe. Five traditional African chiefs, all Baha’is and supporters of the Baha’i work in their areas, were among those who attended. The 41 conferences – in cities from Abidjan to Yaounde, reaching geographically from Vancouver to Sao Paulo to London to Johannesburg to Ulaanbaatar to Auckland – are being held in response to a call by the Universal House of Justice, the elected body that heads the Baha’i Faith. Sehla Masunda, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Zimbabwe, was one of 80 Baha’is from her country to attend the conference in Lusaka.In a letter to the Baha’is of the world announcing the conferences, the House of Justice indicated that the purpose of the gatherings was to celebrate achievements in grassroots community-building, and to discuss the lessons learned and deliberate on how to involve more people in a particular approach to improving the societies they live in – an approach that combines spiritual development with community service. Efforts by Baha’is at the neighborhood level should continue, “no matter how severe the crises engulfing the world around them,” the House of Justice said in its letter. “Financial structures once thought to be impregnable have tottered and world leaders have shown their inability to devise more than temporary solutions, a failing to which they increasingly confess,” the letter said. “Whatever expedient measures are adopted, confidence has been shaken and a sense of security lost.” The long-held Baha’i belief that material and spiritual civilization must advance together, undoubtedly has been reinforced by the world situation, the letter said. People at the conference in Lusaka – 550 from Zambia, 80 from Zimbabwe, and 120 from Malawi – heard a special message addressed to them from the Universal House of Justice and also consulted on the earlier letter, dated 20 October and already translated into some of the languages of the attendees – Tonga, Lunda, Bemba, Chewa, and Shona. The focus of the gathering then shifted to planning for upcoming activities, as “men, women and even the children pondered and made heartfelt pledges to serve their neighbors and friends, and work together to improve their communities purely for the love of God,” said a news release from the Baha’is of Zambia. “Everyone is worried about what to do because the world is changing for the worse, but the answer is in the teachings of God if only we can apply them to our daily lives,” one participant said. Among those attending the Lusaka conference were four counselors, individuals with special responsibilities in the Baha’i community: two from southern Africa, Maina Mkandawire of Malawi and Garth Pollock of Zambia, and two who attended as representatives of the Universal House of Justice, Uransaikhan Baatar of Mongolia and Stephen Birkland of the United States, both of whom currently serve at the Baha’i World Center. Nearly a dozen choirs from Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe were on hand to provide music and add to the spirit of the gathering. “It was such a big and wonderful gathering,” said Heighten Ngangula of Zambia. "I never attended (anything like this) since I became a Baha’i.”

-15.4164488

28.2821535

HAIFA

Israel

Photograph collection posted to Web site

Photograph collection posted to Web site HAIFA, Israel — A collection of 500 photographs of Baha’i activities around the world is now available for viewing and downloading on the official Baha’i Web site. The link to the specific Web section, titled “Attaining the dynamics of growth: Images from five continents,” is www.bahai.org/attaining/. The photographs, commissioned by the Baha’i World Centre, were among thousands done as part of a project leading up to the International Baha’i Convention, held last spring in Haifa. Delegates from almost every country in the world participated in the convention, making it a showcase for the diversity of the human family. The images show Baha’is in their home communities participating in the core activities of study circles, children’s classes, junior youth activities, and devotional gatherings. A separate section is devoted to social and economic development. Mulanje, MalawiThe photographs are of Baha’is and their friends in cities, towns, and villages in 18 different countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Malaysia, Malawi, Mongolia, Nepal, Panama, Sarawak, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Zambia.

32.8191218

34.9983856

SEOUL

South Korea

Baha’is mark the Birth of Baha’u’llah

Baha’is mark the Birth of Baha’u’llah SEOUL, South Korea — The Baha’i center in Seoul was the site of a special program – one of thousands around the world – marking the 191st anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, which occurred on 12 November 1817 in Tehran, Iran. The anniversary is one of nine holy days during the year on which Baha’is suspend work. Activities were planned in cities, towns, and villages around the globe, including at Baha’i Houses of Worship, at national and local Baha’i centers, at public facilities, and in private homes. In Seoul, Baha’is treated their guests to dinner, music, readings, and a special presentation for the holy day. In Seoul, music, food, and a special presentation were part of the holy day commemoration.Considered by His followers to be a Manifestation of God in a line of divine teachers that includes Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna, Buddha and others, Baha’u’llah attracted thousands of followers before His passing in 1892, in Acre in what is now Israel. Today the Baha’i Faith is established in virtually every country and has about 5 million adherents.

37.5666791

126.9782914

JOHANNESBURG

South Africa

Big turnout for regional Baha’i conferences

Big turnout for regional Baha’i conferences JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — More than a thousand Baha’is from nearly a dozen countries came together for a regional conference that turned out to be the largest Baha’i gathering ever held in South Africa. A simultaneous conference this past weekend in Nakuru, Kenya, also drew more than a thousand participants. After only the second weekend of a four-month series of 41 conferences to be held around the world, organizers are finding that interest in the gatherings is so high that they are having to regroup and adjust plans to accommodate larger numbers of people. In Johannesburg, planners originally estimated that about 500 people would come, according to a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of South Africa. They revised expectations to 800, but when more than 1,000 people appeared, preparations fell short. “We have run out of everything – except spirit and commitment,” one of the organizers reported within hours of the start of the conference. Some 1,200 people came to Nakuru, Kenya, during the second of 18 consecutive weekends of Baha’i regional conferences around the world. Nakuru is one of 41 cities and towns that will host a gathering.The convening of 41 two-day conferences was announced on 20 October in a letter to the Baha’is of the world from the Universal House of Justice, the elected body that is the head of the Baha’i Faith. The purpose of the gatherings, the letter said, is for Baha’is to celebrate recent achievements in grassroots community-building and to plan their next steps in organizing core activities in their home areas. The first of the 41 conferences was convened on 1 November in Lusaka, Zambia, and coming this week are gatherings in Bangalore, India; Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Bangui, Central African Republic. In Johannesburg, a mere two weeks ago the National Baha’i Assembly announced details of that conference and urged Baha’is from all around southern Africa to come, calling it a “thrilling opportunity to gather together to consult. ...” People from Angola, Botswana, La Reunion, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, and Swaziland responded. “The conference is stunning,” one of the organizers reported by noon the first day. “Some of the very veteran Baha’is were tearfully jubilant at the sight of so many friends from so many places. It was encouraging and inspiring from the moment the conference registration opened.” Well over half the participants at Nakuru were from Kenya, but there also were 200 people from Uganda, 100 from Tanzania, 42 from Ethiopia, four from Mozambique, and three from southern Sudan. “The spirit of the conference was very high as most participants had never attended any international conference,” said the initial report from the gathering.

-26.205

28.049722

UVIRA

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Baha’is gather in DRC despite war, other challenges

Baha’is gather in DRC despite war, other challenges UVIRA, Democratic Republic Of The Congo — A war close at hand and myriad financial and security challenges did not stop nearly 800 people from reaching a historic Baha’i conference in Uvira. Most of the participants came from the DRC, but 13 were from Burundi and four from Rwanda. “Although all our belongings were taken from us on the way here, we made it to the conference,” said Francois Njiangani, who lives in the province west of Uvira. Twenty-one people arrived from North Kivu province – a site of the current unrest. Uvira, in South Kivu province, is roughly 200 kilometers from Goma, the capital of North Kivu. Mr. Njiangani indicated that the current insecurity did not deter him from his Baha’i activities, saying he would return home and rededicate himself to community-building efforts, which he termed “a way out, a help for the whole of humanity.” Ngoy Kalonda of North Kivu said being at the conference created hope and motivated her to continue Baha’i activities in her community, too. A security officer from the Uvira area – previously unfamiliar with Baha’i teachings – appeared at some of the sessions and afterward stated that he thought the conference came exactly “at the right time, in the right place.” Uvira is only about 200 kilometers south of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province where much of the current unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is centered.He said if Baha’is are able to put into practice their teachings of peace and unity – and spread their message on all continents – the world will be transformed. The conference was one of three held on 15-16 November – the others were in Bangalore, India, and Bangui, Central African Republic – that are part of a series of 41 Baha’i gatherings being held around the world in a four-month span. The purpose of the conferences is for Baha’is to discuss developments in their core activities at the neighborhood level, and also to make plans for the coming months. “It almost felt like the heat of the joy and enthusiasm of the participants was competing with the burning heat of the African sun,” said one participant at Uvira, attempting to explain the mood. The conference was such a beacon of hope that one man walked 300 kilometers from his home in Lulenge province. Similar stories were reported at the conference in the Central African Republic, where more than 40 people walked between 50 and 100 kilometers – or farther – to reach the gathering, the first Baha’i event of its type ever held in the country. Some 800 people came for the conference, a number which stretched the capacity of the venue. The conference was held in the Parliament building in the capital city – the largest hall that organizers could find to accommodate the expected crowd. Nearly twice that number – some 1,500 people – attended the conference in Bangalore, which included participants from India as well as Sri Lanka and the Andaman Islands. Many were excited that the Universal House of Justice, the elected body that is the head of the Baha’i Faith, had convened the conferences and was sending an individual message to each gathering. The unprecedented conferences come half-way through a five-year effort by Baha’is to decentralize their activities and organize devotional meetings, study circles, and classes for children and youth at the neighborhood level. Reports on individual conferences: https://news.bahai.org/community-news/regional-conferences/

-3.1982504

29.007140887372955

UNITED NATIONS

United States

UN rejection of Iranian ‘no-action motion’ is victory for human rights, say Baha’is

UN rejection of Iranian ‘no-action motion’ is victory for human rights, say Baha’is UNITED NATIONS, United States — The Baha’i International Community praised the United Nations General Assembly for today rejecting a so-called “no-action motion” on human rights in Iran. Such a motion, if it had passed, would have used procedural rules to set aside a resolution that is sharply critical of the Islamic Republic of Iran over its use of torture, the high incidence of executions, the “violent repression” of women, and “increasing discrimination” against Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Sufis, and Sunni Muslims, among other minorities. That resolution subsequently passed the Assembly’s Third Committee, by a vote of 70 to 51 with 60 abstentions, in a second vote today. The resolution will now be sent for final approval by the full Assembly in mid-December. “This motion allowed governments an easy way to evade their responsibility to protect international human rights, and by rejecting it they have cleared the way for a thorough investigation of human rights abuses in Iran,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the BIC to the United Nations. “The UN General Assembly therefore deserves praise for rejecting the motion, which was sponsored by Iran in an obvious effort to evade international condemnation for its worsening human rights record. “Our hope is that such no-action motions, which essentially use a procedural ploy to avoid a legitimate discussion of human rights issues, will now become a thing of the past. If so, this represents a victory for the rights of people everywhere,” said Ms. Dugal. A no-action motion is a procedure that prevents member states at the UN from even debating a particular resolution. It is being increasingly used to allow countries to avoid having to take a position on politically sensitive issues, such as human rights, and so to escape scrutiny, Ms. Dugal said. “Using procedural motions in this way gives unscrupulous countries the chance to turn a blind eye to the oppressive actions of a member state, all the while pretending that they care about human rights. The international community should no longer stand for this. “If it had passed, it would have been an affront to those Iranians, particularly inside their homeland, who have so bravely spoken out against the abuses of their government. Increasingly, Iranian lawyers and human rights activists have sought to uphold due process and defend the rights of their fellow citizens, often at considerable risk,” said Ms. Dugal. Failure of the motion, by a vote of 81 to 71 with 28 abstentions, cleared the way for the Assembly’s Third Committee, which oversees human rights issues, to consider the actual resolution on Iran’s human rights situation. That vote came minutes later. The resolution was put forward by Canada and, before the vote, had the sponsorship of more than 40 countries. It expresses “deep concern at the ongoing systematic violation of human rights” in Iran, noting especially recent “confirmed instances” of torture, public executions, and the “violent repression” of groups such as “women exercising their right of peaceful assembly.” The resolution also calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to “address the substantive concerns” on human rights that were highlighted in a recent report by the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Issued in October, Mr. Ban’s report said “there are a number of serious impediments to the full protection of human rights” in Iran. It likewise expressed concerns over torture, executions, the rights of women, and discrimination against minorities. (To read the full report, go to: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=a/63/459.) The resolution calls on Iran to “end the harassment, intimidation and persecution of political opponents and human rights defenders, including by releasing persons imprisoned arbitrarily or on the basis of their political views” and to “uphold due process of law rights and to end impunity for human rights violations.” The resolution takes particular note of attacks on Baha’is, noting “increasing evidence of efforts by the State to identify and monitor Baha’is, preventing members of the Baha’i Faith from attending university and from sustaining themselves economically, and the arrest and detention of seven Baha’i leaders without charge or access to legal representation.” Ms. Dugal noted that there are at least 20 Baha’is currently in jail, including the national Baha’i leadership of seven members who were arrested last March and May and are being held in Evin prison without charges. More than 100 more have been arrested and released on bail over the last four years as part of a stepped-up government effort at persecution.

QUITO

Ecuador

Bus crash doesn’t stop travelers from reaching Quito conference

Bus crash doesn’t stop travelers from reaching Quito conference QUITO, Ecuador — The series of 41 conferences being held in cities around the world continues to be historic for the Baha’i Faith, not only for the number of participants (over 12,000 and counting) but also for people’s determination to overcome obstacles to get to the gatherings. The first conferences, which were in Africa, brought stories of people traveling a hundred kilometers or more on foot – a reflection of their eagerness to accept an invitation from the Universal House of Justice and meet with representatives of the supreme elected body of their religion. Meeting Baha’is from outside their locality, in some cases for the first time, was also a big motivation. Conferences this past weekend brought more tales of sacrifice, determination and attempts to resolve travel problems – sometimes unsuccessfully. Among the most moving stories was that of the indigenous people of the Colombian Guajira, the arid peninsula at the northernmost tip of South America. Two friends from the Guajira peninsula look relaxed in Quito after weeks of hurried preparations, followed by a three-day bus ride that was interrupted by a serious accident.The minute the Baha’is there received the letter from the Universal House of Justice calling them to a conference in Quito, Ecuador, they organized themselves into committees to see how many people they could help make the trip. Finances were only part of the problem. One of the most important committees was the document committee, charged with the daunting task of helping people get national ID cards, passports, and vaccinations in the space of three short weeks. One rural youth began raising money by taking on as many odd jobs as he could find. He walked all the way to the nearest city to get his vaccination only to be told to return another day, which he did. But in the end he couldn’t go – he is under-age and crossing the border to Ecuador requires written consent from his father, who lives in Venezuela and couldn’t be reached in time. The young man joyfully contributed his hard-earned cash – the equivalent of about US$8 – to help others make the trip. On the day of departure, 14 Baha’is from the area had managed to get their documents in order and raised or borrowed the minimum funds for a trip to Ecuador. They boarded buses in their regional capital of Riohacha at 4 p.m. the Tuesday before the conference, giving them the three days they needed to reach Quito. Thirteen hours out of Riohacha, the bus collided head-on with a truck, killing the driver’s assistant, breaking the leg of one of the Baha’is, and virtually destroying the bus. The passengers were taken to the nearest hospital. Among the Baha’i group, it was determined that the one man who was seriously hurt would have to return home but the others, once they were patched up, could continue on. Now out of money, which had been spent to deal with the accident, the group proceeded, stopping off in the Cali area to join up with other Baha’is – and try to clean their blood-stained clothes before heading out on the final 18-hour leg of their journey. In Quito, other stories were not as dramatic but still inspiring. A young woman, age 17, upon learning that she wouldn’t be able to travel without getting an ID document from the government, persevered until she reached the governor of her region. He was so impressed by her diligence and desire to take part in the event that he personally granted her the document. Conferences this past weekend, in addition to Quito, included New Delhi and Kolkata in India, and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For people traveling from Bangladesh to Kolkata there were severe challenges with documentation. Getting passports rapidly was difficult – the conference was announced on 20 October, leaving barely a month – but current conditions at the border between Bangladesh and India apparently have affected the visa process. About 200 Baha’is in Bangladesh did their best to get the papers they needed, with many of them waiting in line for up to three days at the Indian consulate to apply for a visa. All but 30 were turned away and thus could not go to Kolkata. Reports on individual conferences: https://news.bahai.org/community-news/regional-conferences/

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-78.5123274

LONDON

United Kingdom

UK Foreign Policy Centre challenges Iran on human rights

UK Foreign Policy Centre challenges Iran on human rights LONDON, England — The Foreign Policy Centre, a leading foreign affairs think tank in Britain, has published a new report on Iran titled “A Revolution Without Rights: Women, Kurds and Baha’is Searching for Equality in Iran.” The report concludes that, although the world is focusing on Iran’s nuclear issue, the rights of women and minorities must not be overlooked. Published as a pamphlet, the report was presented at a public program at the Houses of Parliament on 25 November, coinciding with United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The document evaluates the Iranian government’s compliance with its own constitution and looks at how the country’s treatment of women and minorities measures up to the international agreements it has signed. UK Foreign Office Minister Lord Mark Malloch-Brown wrote the preface, describing the report as an “important contribution to the debate, and an important part of ensuring that improving Iran’s human rights record stays firmly on the agenda worldwide.” “Iran consistently fails to meet the international commitments that it is signed up to,” he wrote. “It ignores its own laws and terms of its own constitution such as arbitrary arrest and the denial of due process. And it is increasingly – and worryingly – using vague, national security-related charges such as ‘acting against state security’ and ‘propaganda against the system’ against individuals who are exercising their right to peaceful protest.” The Foreign Policy Centre report challenges Iran to fulfill its obligations under international law and its own constitution, said Centre Director Stephen Twigg.The launch of the report was held at Portcullis House in the House of Commons. Among those who addressed the audience were Member of Parliament Mike Gapes, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee; Baroness Haleh Afshar, professor of politics and women’s studies at the University of York; Iranian human rights activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam; Drewery Dyke of Amnesty International; and Kaveh Mussavi, head of Public Interest Law, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford. Highlighting particularly the ongoing persecution faced by the Baha’is, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, Baroness Afshar said, “The treatment of the Baha’is is appalling, unacceptable and – in every way – not only against accepted human rights regulations but the ancient traditions of Iran, a culture that has always been characterized by tolerance.” The presentation was chaired by former government minister Stephen Twigg, now director of the Foreign Policy Centre. “This report challenges Iran to fulfill its obligations to its own citizens under international law and its constitution,” said Mr. Twigg. “We must support the tireless work of Iranian human rights activists working to bring change in their own country and make sure their struggle is not overlooked as the international community focuses on the nuclear issue.” “International pressure really does make a difference in human rights cases,” said Ms. Afshin-Jam, who is president of the Stop Child Executions Campaign.

51.5073219

-0.1276474

ANTOFAGASTA

Chile

Baha’i conferences circle the globe

Baha’i conferences circle the globe ANTOFAGASTA, Chile — Baha’i conferences last weekend circled the globe – from Chile to Cameroon to the Philippines. It was the fifth of 18 consecutive weekends that will see conferences in a total of 41 cities, all having been convened by the Universal House of Justice, the elected body that is the head of the Baha’i Faith. In Antofagasta, 600 people from Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and southern Peru gathered, many of them representing indigenous groups who, as one participant put it, offered “a defiant response to prejudice and raised a flag for unity in diversity.” In Yaounde, Cameroon, nearly 1,200 participants came from across that country as well as from Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe. Manila hosted more than 1,000 people from the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, and Marshall Islands. In Manila, some 700 Baha’is from the Philippines were joined for a Baha’i conference by 300 people from at least seven other countries or territories.For reports of the conferences, go to: https://news.bahai.org/community-news/regional-conferences/

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-69.0842783

NEW YORK

United States

Baha'is mark 60th anniversary of Human Rights Declaration

Baha'is mark 60th anniversary of Human Rights Declaration NEW YORK, United States — Many Baha'i communities around the world are observing Human Rights Day this week - which this year has special significance because it marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In New York, the Baha'i International Community will host a one-day seminar on "Freedom of Religion or Belief: Perspectives and Challenges after Sixty Years of United Nations Protection." The seminar, on 8 December, will entail two panel discussions featuring, among others: Felice Gaer of the Jacob Blaustein Institute who serves on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; Azza Karam of the United Nations Population Fund; Cole Durham of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University; and Malcolm Evans of the University of Bristol School of Law. "Human Rights Day is especially significant this year because human rights seem to be under attack from many directions," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations, who will also speak at the event in New York. "This year, given that it is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' 60th anniversary, it is all the more important, as that document sets the strongest normative standards for freedom of religion or belief." Around the world A number of Baha'i communities at both the national and local levels have planned events for Human Rights Day, commemorated each year on 10 December. Following are some examples: In Canada, Baha'is are sponsoring or co-sponsoring at least 10 events, including a two-day "Human Rights Global Dignity Conference" in Victoria, British Columbia, held 6-7 December. A number of events with Baha'i participation are taking place at various Canadian universities, including McGill in Montreal, and, in British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. Local observances will be held in Chilliwack, Abbottsford, Colwood, Maple Ridge, and Langley in British Columbia, and in Richmond Hill and Okaville in Ontario. "We have been encouraging our Local Assemblies to hold events," said Gerald Filson, a spokesman for the Baha'i Community of Canada. In Brazil, Baha'is will participate in the XI National Human Rights Conference in Brasilia on 15-18 December. About 1,500 people are expected to attend, among them elected delegates from the 27 Brazilian states, guests and observers. The Baha'i Community of Brazil has prepared a new edition of the "Human Rights Pathway," an exhibition of 30 posters - representing the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - designed to line a corridor where people can pass through to view. The new edition of the "Pathway" was printed using language and drawings produced by middle school students from Guara, a city in the outskirts of Brasilia, and with partial financial support of the Organization of Ibero-American States. In the United Kingdom, the Baha'is community produced two pamphlets for distribution in schools and universities that connect the persecution of Baha'i university students in Iran with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which specifies the right to an education. "Our Baha'i youth in various places are also organizing seminars, events, and presentations," said Robert Weinberg, a spokesman for the Baha'is of the United Kingdom. He said Baha'is were also supporting an open letter, signed by a number of prominent educators, religious leaders, and academics from throughout Great Britain that criticizes Iran's policy of denying Baha'is access to higher education. The letter is to be released on Human Rights Day. In Austria, the Baha'i community organized an event on 6 November 2008 at the Vienna Baha'i Center that commemorated the imprisonment and murder of Viennese Baha'is of Jewish background during World War II. That ceremony also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In India, Baha'is are sponsoring a program in Lucknow that will launch a discourse on eradication of childhood poverty in collaboration with UNICEF of Uttar Pradesh. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1950, Human Rights Day marks the anniversary of the Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948. Over the years, a network of human rights instruments and mechanisms has been developed to ensure the primacy of human rights and to confront human rights violations wherever they occur.

40.7127281

-74.0060152

CHICAGO

United States

Baha’i conference series reaches the United States

Baha’i conference series reaches the United States CHICAGO, United States — The first conferences in the United States in the current series of 41 Baha’i gatherings being held around the world attracted nearly 8,500 people this past weekend, and another three this coming weekend are expected to draw a similar number. Frigid temperatures and snowstorms didn’t keep 2,340 people from arriving in suburban Chicago for a conference, while 3,500 gathered in Atlanta and 2,600 in Portland, Oregon. The Atlanta conference was the largest of the 17 conferences held to date. The weekend of 6-7 December was the sixth of 18 consecutive weekends of conferences, being held at the call of the Universal House of Justice, the head of the Baha’i Faith. In addition to the three events in the United States, a conference was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, that attracted some 650 people from six countries. Friends from different cities in Kazakhstan enjoyed the chance to see each other while at the Almaty conference last weekend.Next weekend will see conferences in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Stamford, Connecticut. For reports of the conferences, go to: https://news.bahai.org/community-news/regional-conferences/

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-87.6244212

POZNAN

Poland

Ethics stressed at UN conference on climate change

Ethics stressed at UN conference on climate change POZNAN, Poland — In its contributions to the UN Climate Change conference in Poznan, Poland, this week, the Baha’i International Community stressed the importance of addressing the ethical and moral issues that surround global warming and its impact on the world’s peoples. “The search for solutions to climate change has revealed the limits of traditional technological and policy approaches and has raised difficult questions about justice, equity, responsibility and obligation,” said the BIC in a working paper released at the conference. Titled “Seizing the Opportunity: Redefining the Challenge of Climate Change,” the paper offers initial considerations from a Baha’i perspective as the world faces the challenge of global warming. “As communities and policy-makers worldwide have wrestled with these questions, they have brought us all to the threshold of a tremendous opportunity,” said the paper. “It is the opportunity to take the next step in the transition from a state-centered mode of interacting on the world stage to one rooted in the unity which connects us as the inhabitants of one biosphere, the citizens of one world and the members of one human civilization.” (See BIC paper.) Representatives of the BIC also participated in two side events at the conference, both of which were likewise aimed at addressing the moral and ethical issues that stem from global warming. Both events were organized by the Collaborative Program on the Ethical Dimension of Climate Change at the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State University, and both carried the title “Moral and ethical issues that must be faced in implementing the Bali roadmap.” On Monday, 8 December, Baha’i representative Peter Adriance spoke on a panel discussion under that title, on the topic “Summoning the courage: Arising to the ethical challenge of climate change.” In his remarks, Mr. Adriance stressed the importance of embracing the concept of the oneness of humanity as the overriding ethical and moral principle in addressing climate change. “There is a great opportunity for the world to make the transition from operating only from a national perspective to a global perspective,” said Mr. Adriance. On Tuesday, 9 December, Baha’i representatives participated in a daylong seminar, also organized by the Collaborative Program on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change. “The work of the United Nations conference is at a crucial point,” said Tahirih Naylor, a Baha’i International Community representative to the United Nations, who headed the Baha’i delegation in Poznan. “And our goal in our contributions here is to encourage world leaders and leaders of thought to include a consideration of the moral and ethical impact of the decisions they are making. “For example, the principle of justice demands that governments move outside their own limited national interests, and so look at this problem in terms of its global reach and impact. Climate change is a problem of international scope, and it requires a level of cooperation that humanity really hasn’t faced in the past.” The Baha’i International Community is one of hundreds of nongovernmental organizations attending the two-week Poznan conference, which runs through 12 December. Starting today, government ministers and other top officials from nearly 200 nations will participate in a two-day, high-level segment aimed at completing key elements of an ambitious global climate change deal next year. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to address the high-level segment today and will appeal to the gathered leaders to not let the food, financial and other current crises dissuade them from taking urgent action on climate change. The Poznan conference marks the half-way point in efforts to reach agreement on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, the legally binding regime for reducing greenhouse gas emissions whose first commitment period ends in 2012. The process began in Bali, Indonesia, last year.

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