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Baha'i News Baha'i Ye Ar 138 November 1981 Baha'i News Baha'i Ye ar 138 November 1981 The children of Iran RUTHLESS PERSECUTION DEFENCELESS COMMUNITY BAHA'is IRAN FURTHER IN­ TENSIFIED THROUGH RECENT EXECUTION BY FIRING SQUADS OF SIX STAUNCH MARTYRS, ONE IN TEHERAN HABIBU'LLAH AZIZI, FIVE IN DAR UN NEAR ISFAHAN, BAUMAN ATIFI, IZZAT ATIFI, ATA'U'LLAH ROUHANI, AHMAD RIDVANI, AND GUSH­ TASB THABIT RASIKH. LAST FIVE WERE IMPRISONED FOLLOWING LARGE-SCALE SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS ON BAHA'IS IN THEIR HOMES AND ARREST OF SEVERAL OF THEM IN VILLAGES NEAR ISFAHAN. FAMILIES MARTYRS WERE NOT INFORMED OF EXECUTIONS WHILE RELATIVES THOSE EXECUTED IN DARUN ALSO NOT PER­ MITTED CONDUCT BAHA'I FUNERALS THEIR LOVED ONES, AND LAST THREE NAMED WERE BURIED UNCEREMONIOUSLY IN MUSLIM CEMETERY. NO ANNOUNCE­ MENT BY AUTHORITIES WAS MADE ABOUT EXECUTION LAST FIVE. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE SEPTEMBER 18, 1981 Baha'i News Baha'i Year 138 No. 608 ISSN 0195-9212 USPS 040-140 Baha'is raise $1.8 million to rebuild the Louhelen School in Michigan . ... 1 In Iran, Baha'i children face persecution and harassment bravely . ....... 2 The Parliament of Europe again condemns the persecutions in Iran . ..... 4 From India, a report on construction of the Mother Temple in Bahapur . ... 6 The National Assembly of South and West Africa has its silver jubilee . ... 8 Around the world: news from Baha'i communities all over the globe . .... 11 Baha'i News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Baha'i world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to the Periodicals Office, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 , U.S.A. Changes of ad­ dress should be reported the the Office of Membership and Records, Baha'i National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, U.S. $8; two years, U.S. $15. Second class postage paid at Wi lmette, IL 60091 . Copyright <> 1981 , National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. United States Historic Louhelen School to be restored About 400 Bahci'is gathered Sunday, a broad base of support by individuals September 6, at the Louhelen Baha'i and communities. School near Davison, Michigan, for a The sale of promissory notes, to­ ground-breaking ceremony that mark­ gether with other loans for the school, ed the successful completion of a amounted to 60 percent of the $1.8 mil­ $1.8-million fund-raising campaign to lion raised by September. restore the school. Construction work at the Louhelen Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of School was scheduled to begin at the the National Spiritual Assembly of the end of September and to be completed United States, using a ribbon-be­ by the end of summer 1982. decked, chrome-plated shovel, turned Last spring, the U.S. National Spiri­ the first spadeful of earth that signaled tual Assembly established the Faizi En­ the end of the fund-raising effort and dowment to honor and continue the the start of construction at the Lou­ work of the Hand of the Cause of God helen School. 'Abu'l-Qasim Faizi in the field of The ceremony came only one month Baha'i education. The first use of that after the 50th anniversary celebration Endowment will be to assist in the re­ at the school, which was opened in Au­ construction and development of the gust 1931 by Lou and Helen Eggleston, Louhelen School. Bahci'is in Davison who had a dream Over the years, classes at Louhelen that one day it would become a great have been conducted by many dis­ center of Baha'i learning. tinguished teachers including eight who Their estimate of its eventual im­ later would be named Hands of the portance was underscored in more than Cause of God: Amatu'l-Bahci RuQ.iyyih 50 letters from the Guardian, Shoghi Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of the Khanum, Agnes Alexander, Dorothy Effendi, in which he said the school National Spiritual Assembly of the Baker, Amelia Collins, Louis Gregory, would "grow in the future to be a seat Bahd 'is of the United States, uses a rib­ Horace Holley, Leroy Ioas, and Cor­ of Baha'i education." bon-bedecked, chrome-plated shovel inne True. to turn the first earth marking the com­ The construction in 1939 of the Year-long campaign pletion of the $1. 8-million fund-raising school's library building was made The original Louhelen campus was effort and the start of construction at possible through gifts from Mrs. Col­ closed in 1974 because the buildings the Louhelen Baha'[ School near Davi­ lins and others. that had served their purpose so well son, Michigan. Standing next to Mr. The Egglestons legally transferred for more than 40 years were no longer Mitchell is Auxiliary Board member the school buildings to a trust of the considered safe for occupancy, and Stephen Ader. National Spiritual Assembly, retaining funds were not available at that time only their home and nine and one-half threshold amount of $1.25 million for restoration or reconstruction. acres of land at the school site. The necessary to begin construction at the transfer had been their intention from The ground-breaking ceremony cap­ end of that month. ped a year of intensive effort by the the time the farm property was pur­ Baha'is in the U.S. to make the school Those funds were received during chased in 1930. a reality. August in the form of three large con­ The school itself, first named the In the course of that year, architec­ tributions and loans that together to­ Louhelen Ranch, was later renamed tural plans were prepared, construction taled $600,000. "Central States Baha'i School." The permits were obtained, and the site was In addition, said David E. Smith, name Louhelen was reinstated in 1940, made ready, awaiting funding. secretary of the U.S. National Edu­ but was changed in 1956 to ''Davison As late as August 1, when the 50th cation Committee, smaller contribu­ Baha'i School" before the name anniversary observance was held, some tions and loans totaling another coined by its founders was eventually $600,000 still was needed to reach the $500,000 also were received, indicating readopted. Baha'i News/November 1981 1 Iran Baha'i children: courageous, steadfast The following is a translation of ex­ Most Baha'i children know their Is­ to confront our young children. It is tracts from a letter of June 10, 1981, to lamic religious lessons better than all not uncommon for two or three in­ the Universal House of Justice from a their fellow students. They can read the structors of religious classes or trained Bah<i'{ in Iran detailing the courageous Qur'an and interpret it better than ideologists of the Ministry of Educa­ acts of the Bah<i'{ children in that their Muslim counterparts, sometimes tion, as well as a number of students, country. even better than their teachers! to join forces and suddenly attack a • The highest marks in Islamic reli­ Baha'i child of 10 or 11 years. With all Dear Friends, gious study are given to the Baha'i their power they try to shatter the very We are extremely busy these days children. Their teachers are often very foundation of his beliefs. They will ar­ and it pains me to think of not being surprised to note that they excel in gue with him for hours, and even use able to write to you. We have so many competitions in the reading of the unfair methods to "guide" him. overwhelming stories to relate, which Qur'an and in religious instruction ex­ They are bewildered when they rea­ are so glorious that one feels guilty aminations. Yes, they are frequently lize, however, that all their efforts are about not being able to write them. surprised, but at the same time they are in vain, and they are wonder-struck at One of the greatest and most impor­ extremely resentful. the replies they receive from these tant features of the present persecu­ When the teachers become angry, young ones, which include a number of tions is the tests which are facing the they challenge the Baha'i students un­ verses from the Qur'an and quotations Baha'i children. So much is written fairly. The parents of these children from the Baha'i Writings. and told about the outstanding perse­ ask their instructors how they have the Sometimes such discussions, be­ verance and degree of devotion of the audacity to confront children of 10 or tween, say, a teacher in his 30s and his adult believers, but little is said about 11 years, and their reply is that the Baha'i pupil of 10 or 11 years of age, our dear children-their encounters Baha'i children sometimes know more takes place in the classroom. The with difficulties, their courage, and than they do. They complain that in teacher begins with a barrage of insults their heroic deeds. their classes the Baha'i children are oc­ and calumnies against the Faith. The It is unbelievable that human beings casionally made prayer leaders and are child, of course, does not passively ac­ could ever think of pressuring innocent nicknamed by their fellow students as cept these insults-he reacts! And, his children of such tender age in the way "Ayatollahs" because their under­ protests are the beginning of a public the people in the schools of Iran are standing of the Qur' an is deep and discussion about the Faith between him doing at this time.
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