Portals to Freedom
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Star of the West V6 1915-16
□ — — 1 ^ — 1 ^ — — — □ HP 8 |fj T HAS been our aim |I'HUIIhmI I to uplifit man, through G 9 exalted Words, unto the Supreme Horizon, and to prepare them to hearken unto that which conduces to the sanctifying and purifying of the people of the world from strife and mminuui] discord resulting, from dif ItniiiiiibiiJ ferences in religions or iiiiiiiiiiinin sects. m — B A H A ’O ’L L A H • □•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•□•Cl» O friends! In this day the door of heaven is opened by the key of the g,odly Name, the ocean of generosity is manifested and is rolling, before your faces, and the Sun of Providence is shining and gleaming. Do not be exclusive nor destroy your most precious time through the speech of this or that person. Gird up the loins of endeavor and do your best in training the people of the world. Do not imagine that the Cause of God is a cause of opposition, hatred or wrath. The Sun of Greatness hath said, that which is revealed from the heaven of will in this Supreme Manifesta tion, is to unite the people with love and friendship toward all. The people of Baha, who have drunk of the pure wine of reality, must associate with all the world with a perfect spirit of joy and fragrance, and remind them of that which is for the benefit of all. This is the Commandment of the Wronged One to his saints and sincere ones. O people of the earth! Make not the religion of God a cause of variance among, you. -
Equality of Equality of Women and Men Women And
Oneness Equality of Women and Men Level Two Principle of Oneness – Equality of Women and Men – Level Two 79 TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY AND HOW IT DIFFERS FROM BEING THE SAME EQUALITY IN NATURE SPIRITUAL QUALITIES RELEVANT TO THIS TOPIC: COURAGE, LOVE, EQUALITY Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity there are signs for men of discernment. Nature is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world. Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 142 The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh also proclaim equality between man and woman, for He has declared that all are the servants of God and endowed with capacity for the attainment of virtues and bestowals. In the estimation of God there is no gender. The one whose deeds are more worthy, whose sayings are better, whose accomplishments are more useful is nearest and dearest in the estimation of God, be that one male or female. When we look upon creation, we find the male and female principle apparent in all phenomena of existence. All plant life is characterized by this difference in gender, but no distinction or preference is evidenced. Likewise, in the animal kingdom gender obtains; we have male and female, but no distinction or preference. Perfect equality is manifest. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 374 Principle of Oneness – Equality of Women and Men – Level Two 81 GOAL: TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY AND HOW IT DIFFERS FROM BEING THE SAME TOPIC: EQUALITY IN NATURE LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES • To know that each type of plant and animal plays an important role in the natural system • To know that in an individual plant each part plays an important role, e.g. -
Searching for May Maxwell: Bahá’Í Millennial Feminism, Transformative Identity & Globalism in the New World Order
Searching for May Maxwell: Bahá’í Millennial Feminism, Transformative Identity & Globalism in the new World Order Shaping Women’s Role in Early Bahá’i Culture 1898-1940 A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, SK, Canada By Selena M. Crosson © Copyright Selena M. Crosson, June 2013. All rights reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis/dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. DISCLAIMER Reference in this thesis/dissertation to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the University of Saskatchewan. -
Review of the Maxwells of Montreal by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani
Book Review The Maxwells of Montreal: Early Years 1870-1922, by Violette Nakhjavani, with the assistance of Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2011, xx + 422 pp. The Maxwells of Montreal: Middle Years 1923-1937, Late Years 1937-1952, by Violette Nakhjavani, with the assistance of Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, George Ronald, Oxford, 2012, 442 pp. KATHRYN JEWETT HOGENSON When only seventeen years old, Mary Maxwell made an extraordi- nary promise to her mother. Unprompted, she volunteered to write her mother’s biography (Nakhjavani, vol. I, viii, 23). This was not simply the pledge of a daughter who intensely adored her mother, nor the naïve vow of an aspiring writer, for Mary had recognized at that early age that her mother, Mary “May” Ellis Bolles Maxwell, had already won a prominent place in Bahá’í history, not only as one of the first members of the Cause in the West but also as midwife to the birth of the Faith in Europe and as its tireless proponent in Canada and the United States during its first decades in those countries. Young Mary’s assessment of her mother’s merit was affirmed years later when Shoghi Effendi designated May a “martyr” in his cable at the time of her passing in 1940: “to sacred tie her signal services had forged priceless honour martyrs death now added dou- ble crown deservedly won” (qtd. in vol. II, 367) . A decade after the prom- ise was given, Mary became Madame Rabbani, better known to Bahá’ís as Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, wife of and helpmate to Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith—the “sacred tie” referred to in the above cable. -
Spiritual Foundations for the Equality of Women and Men
CORE CURRICULUM FOR SPIRITUAL EDUCATION SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE EQUALITY OF WOMEN AND MEN Prepared by the National Bahá'í Education Task Force Copyright © 1999 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States All rights reserved. EQUALITY CONTENTS FACILITATOR’S MANUAL • Introduction • Module One Your Role as an Equality Worker • Module Two Equality in the World at Large • Module Three Equality in the Family • Module Four Teaching Equality • Conclusion CORE CURRICULUM FOR SPIRITUAL EDUCATION • Preparing for Equality Course • Appendix A: “Two Wings of a Bird” fireside workshops • Appendix B: Heroines of the Bahá’í Faith • Participant Handouts Journal Journal Journal Journal Journal Core Curriculum for Spiritual Education Spiritual Foundations for the Equality of Women and Men Introduction to the Course Welcome, Devotions and Introduction ................................................................................................... 2 Organizational Schema ............................................................................................................................. 7 Presentation of the Course Manual/Binder ................................................................................................8 Overview of the Equality Course ..............................................................................................................9 Course Format and Contents Modeling Books and Materials Summary: Personal Journal ................................................................................................................... -
Vignettes from the Life of Abdul-Baha OCR.Pdf
george r o n a l d , Publisher 46 High Street, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 2DN © Annamarie Honnold 1982 All Rights Reserved Reprinted 1986 Revised edition 1991 Extracts from the following copyright works reprinted by permission: Elsie Austin: Above All Barriers: The Story o f Louis G. Gregory, Copyright 1955, © 1976 by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is o f the United States. H. M. Balyuzi: Abdu'l-Bahd, The Centre of the Covenant of Baha’u’lldh, © H. M. Balyuzi 1971. Lady Blomfield: The Chosen Highway, All Rights Reserved. J. E. Esslemont: Bahd’u’lldh and the New Era, Copyright 1950, © 1970, 1976, 1978 by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is o f the United States. Gloria Faizi: The Baha’i Faith - An Introduction,© Gloria A. Faizi 1971, All Rights Reserved. John Ferraby: All Things Made New, © Dorothy Ferraby 1975. Marzieh Gail: The Sheltering Branch, © Marzieh Gail 1959. Howard Ives: Portals to Freedom, A ll Rights Reserved. Jordan, Daniel C.: The Meaning of Deepening, © 1973 by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is of the United States. The Baha’i World: A Biennial International Record: Volume IV, Copyright, 1933, by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is o f the United States and Canada; Volume VI, Copyright, 1937, by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is o f the United States and Canada; Volume IX, Copyright 1945, by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is o f the United States and Canada; Volume XII, © Copyright 1956, by National Spiritual Assembly o f the Baha’is o f the United States. -
* * * * * * Century of Light
Century of Light * * * Foreword Century of Light Notes * * * Foreword The conclusion of the twentieth century provides Bahá’ís with a unique vantage point. During the past hundred years our world underwent changes far more profound than any in its preceding history, changes that are, for the most part, little understood by the present generation. These same hundred years saw the Bahá’í Cause emerge from obscurity, demonstrating on a global scale the unifying power with which its Divine origin has endowed it. As the century drew to its close, the convergence of these two historical developments became increasingly apparent. Century of Light, prepared under our supervision, reviews these two processes and the relationship between them, in the context of the Bahá’í Teachings. We commend it to the thoughtful study of the friends, in the confidence that the perspectives it opens up will prove both spiritually enriching and of practical help in sharing with others the challenging implications of the Revelation brought by Bahá’u’lláh. The Universal House of Justice Naw-Rúz, 158 B.E. Century of Light The twentieth century, the most turbulent in the history of the human race, has reached its end. Dismayed by the deepening moral and social chaos that marked its course, the generality of the world’s peoples are eager to leave behind them the memories of the suffering that these decades brought with them. No matter how frail the foundations of confidence in the future may seem, no matter how great the dangers looming on the horizon, humanity appears desperate to believe that, through some fortuitous conjunction of circumstances, it will nevertheless be possible to bend the conditions of human life into conformity with prevailing human desires. -
Baha.'U'll:Ih," 'Abdu'l-Baha Moreover Has Said, "Once Com- Pared the Colored People to the Black Pupil of the Eye Surrounded by the White
The Baha'i Faith and African American Histo Creating Racial and Religious Diversity Edited by Loni Bramson Introduction by Loni Bramson L EXINGTON BOOKS Lanham ' Boulder ' New York ' London Chapter 1 The Baha'i "Pupil of the Eye" Metaphor Promoting Ideal Race Relations in Jim Crow America Christopher Buck This chapter focuses on a notable contribution to promoting ideal race rela- tions in Jim Crow America by a new religion, which, though small in number, was socially significant in its concerted effOlts to foster and advance harmony between the races (primarily black and white at the time). The Oxford English Dictionary defines "race relations" (q.v. "race, n. 6," compounds) as "the interactions and degree of concord between racial groups within a particu- lar area." Therefore, for the purposes of this chapter, the term "ideal race relations" is conceived as "socially amicable, reciprocal, and ameliorative interactions and an optimal degree of concord between racial groups within a particular area," The Baha' i religion (today known as the "Baha'i Faith") was brought to the United States during the Jim Crow era of forced legal segregation under the Plessy v. Ferguson (I896) "separate but equal" doctrine. ' During this time, 'Abdu'l-Baha was keenly alive to the racial problem in America, which he saw firsthand in 1912 during his speaking tour in the United States and Canada.' "Baha'u'lhih," 'Abdu'l-Baha recalled, "once compared the colored people to the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil is seen the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the spirit shineth forth.'" This chapter, therefore, focuses on the role that Bah,j' u'lIah's "pupil of the eye" metaphor played in Baha'i efforts to promote ideal race relations, which, far from being "empty rhetoric," was figurative public discourse aimed at countering racial prejudice- individually and interpersonally. -
20180904034637!Baha'i News 528.Pdf
Bohci'i Year 131-32 Morch 1975 Baha'i News Vol. 52 No. 3 For Baho'i's only Contents The House of 1'bdu'lloh Pasho: Pri son home of the Master ...... 2 Around the world ....................................... · .5 World Center, International Baha'{Community, International Audio-Visual Center, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Korea, Norway, Portugal, Un ited States, Uruguay, Vietnam India: an historical overview .................. ............. 16 Poge 14 Effective May 1 the subscription prices for BohO'i' News, World Order, ond Child's Woy will be increased to cover higher production costs for poper stock, printing, ond other services. " We regret that it hos been necessary to raise the subscription prices of the periodicals," soid William Geissler, Secretary of the National Information Committee, "but the costs of all materials ond production services have increased significantly over the past two years and there is no sign that the trend is abating." For example a new increase in the price of postage is soon to go into effect. "The Baha'i periodicals have attempted to keep the subscription prices down," Mr. Geissler said. "The last price odjustment was approximately four years ego. During that time the National Assembly has heavily subsidized the publication of periodicals. The increases will help to make the publications more self-sufficient," he said. After May 1 o one-year subscription to Saha'( News will cost US $8; two years US S 15. A one-year subscription to World Order, a quarterly magazine, will costUS $6; two years US $11 . A one-year subscription to Child's Woy. -
The Interdependence of Bahá'í Communities
Published in the Journal of Bahá’í Studies Vol. 4, number 1 (1991) © Association for Bahá’í Studies 1991 The Interdependence of Bahá’í Communities Services of North American Bahá’í Women to Iran Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani Abstract Cooperation between the Bahá’í communities of Iran and North America in spiritual and social fields goes back to the early years of this century. Initially, renowned Bahá’í teachers such as Abu’l-Fadl1 were sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the United States to teach the Bahá’í Faith and to expand the new believers’ understanding of its tenets. Later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi appealed to American Bahá’ís and encouraged them to respond to the social needs of their coreligionists in Iran. This article examines the American Bahá’í women’s response and the significant contribution they made in developing the Iranian Bahá’í community. Résumé La cooperation entre les communautés bahá’íes d’Iran et d’Amérique du Nord sur les plans spirituel et social remonte aux débuts de notre siècle. Des enseignants Bahá’ís renommés, tels que Abu’l-Fadl1 furent alors envoyés aux États-Unis par ‘Abdu’l-Bahá pour y enseigner la Foi et aider ies nouveaux croyants à approfondir leur comprehension de ses préceptes. Par la suite, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá et Shoghi Effendi lancèrent un appel aux bahá’ís américains, les encourageant à répondre aux besoins sociaux de leurs coreligionnaires d’Iran. Cet article examine comment les bahá’íes américaines répondireni à cet appel et la contribution importante qu’elles firent au développement de la communauté bahá’íe d’Iran. -
Testimony on Love
Testimonial on the Love of God and Teaching Copyrighted Material 17. Bahá’u’lláh states that there are two things pleasing to God: the tears shed in fear of Him and the blood of the martyr spilt in His path. But since Bahá’u’lláh has advised His followers not to volunteer to give their lives, He has replaced it with teaching His Cause. Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Volume II, p. 94 19. Ibn-I-Abhar went through a turbulent period soon after the death of his father in 1874. The details of the plots against him and the confiscation of all his possessions by his enemies are beyond the scope of this book. In 1876 he sent a letter to the presence of Bahá’u’lláh asking whether it was more meritorious to lay down one’s life for the love of God or to teach the Cause with wisdom and the power of utterance. In a Tablet Bahá’u’lláh counselled him that the latter was preferable. Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Volume IV, p. 305 20. O Son of Man! By my beauty! To tinge thy hair with thy blood is greater in My sight than the creation of the universe and the light of both worlds. Strive then to attain this, O servant!1 By replacing this greatest act of devotion with teaching the Cause, Bahá’u’lláh has discouraged his followers from seeking martyrdom. Instead He has commanded them to devote their entire lives to teaching His Cause to the whole human race. -
Searching for May Maxwell: Bahá’Í Millennial Feminism, Transformative Identity & Globalism in the New World Order
Searching for May Maxwell: Bahá’í Millennial Feminism, Transformative Identity & Globalism in the new World Order Shaping Women’s Role in Early Bahá’i Culture 1898-1940 A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, SK, Canada By Selena M. Crosson © Copyright Selena M. Crosson, June 2013. All rights reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis/dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. DISCLAIMER Reference in this thesis/dissertation to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the University of Saskatchewan.