NEWS PUBLI SHED BY THE NATI ONAL SP IRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BA HA'I S OF THE UNITED STATES

FOR CIRC ULA TION AMONG BAHA'IS ONLY

No. 387 BAHA'I YEAR 120 JUNE 1963

First Historic House of Justice Is Elected

(On the) occasion (of) worldwide celebration (of the) 1ost Great Jubilee commemorating (the) centenary (of the) ascension (of ) Baha'u'llah (to the) throne (of) His sovereignty, with hearts overflowing (with) gratitude (for ) Hi unfailing protection (and) overflowing bounties, (we) joy­ ou ly announce (to the) friends (of the) East (and) West (the) election (of the) supreme legis­ lative body ordained by Him in His Most Holy Book (and ) promised by Him (to ) receive Hi s infallible guidance. Members (of the) first historic House (of) Ju ti ce, duly elected by delegates comprising members (of) fifty-six national a emblies, are Charle Wolcott Ian Semple Hugh Chance 'Ali Nak_bjavani Lotfullah Hakim Amen Gibson H. Borrah Kavelin David Hofman Hooshmand Fatheazam To (the) jubilation (of the) entire Baha'i world (for the) victoriou completion (of the) be­ loved Guardian's unique Crusade (is) now added (the) humble gratitude (and ) profound thanks­ giving (of the) followers (of ) Baha'u'llah for (th e) erection (of the) Universal House (of) Justice, (that) august body to whom all believers must turn, whose destiny is to guide (the) un­ foldment (of) His embryonic world order through (the) administrative institutions prescribed by Ba ha 'u'llah, elaborated by 'Abdu'l-Baha (and) laboriously erected by Shoghi Effendi, and (to ) insure (the) early dawn (of th e) Golden Age (of the ) Faith when the Word of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Haifa, Israel, April 22, 1963 (signed ) HA NDSFAITH

Members of the Univ ersal H ouse of Justice in the Shrine Gar dens on Mt. Carmel. F rom left: Charles Wolcott, Amoz Gibson, H ooshm and Fathecizam, H u gh Chance, H . Borrah Kavelin, Ian Semple, L otfullah Hakim, David Hofman, 'Ali Na!Qtjavcini. 2

Hands and delegates leaving the Shrine of the Bab where prayers were offered just prior to the election of the Univ er­ sal House of Justice. The election took place in the house of 'Abdu' l-Bahci.

First International Convention Richly Rewards Participants

The date of April 21 , 1963 - the first day of Ri<;l.van, their respective annual conventions in Ri<;l.van 1962, year 120, the hundredth anniversary of the declaration charged with the sacred privilege and duty of voting of Baha'u'llah of His sacred mission, has now been for the nine male members of the Baha'i world recorded in history as the day that witnessed the birth community who would comprise the membership of of the Universal House of Justice, that supreme ad­ the Universal House of Justice. ministrative body of the Baha'i Faith referred to in To enable the delegates to prepare themselves Baha'u 'llah's prophetic Tablet of Carmel and which spiritually for their great responsibility, arrangements Shoghi Effendi stated " is to be the exponent and had been made by the Hands of the Cause with the guardian of the Divine Justice which can alone insure cooperation of the International Baha'i Council for all the security of, and establish the reign of law and to visit the several holy places on God's sacred moun­ order in, a strangely disordered world." tain, Mt. Carmel in H aifa, and in its twin city, 'Akka. As early as ovember 5, 1961 , the Hands of the This was the greatest mass pilgrimage ever to have Cause had called the First International Convention of been made to the World Center of our Faith. the Baha'i Faith at which the election of this crowning administrative institution was to take place. The For the five-day period, April 20 to April 24, the delegates were the 504 members of the fifty-six na­ Shrine of the Bab was closed to the public, thus tional and regional spiritual assemblies elected at making it possible for the delegates to visit this most

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'A matu'l-Bahci Ru}.i.iyyih Khcinum giv es instructions to the tellers who worked straight through the night in order to report the elec­ tion results promptly.

J~r 3

Commemorating the hundredth anni­ versary of the Declaration of Baha'u'­ llah, the Rit;lvan Feast took place in the gardens at Bahji on April 21. H ere the believers are seen facing the Shrine of Baha'u'll

sacred spot on Mt. Carmel to pray and meditate at any hour and as many times as they wished. Also, on each of three evenings a designated group of delegates spent more than two hours in the Inter­ national Archives Building viewing the sacred relics and documents, beautifully p reserved and arranged in accordance with the personal instructions of the Bah jf beloved Guardian, and gaining a deeper understand­ April 21 , 1963 ing of the significance of this edifice which he said is the first of the several structures which will eventually (1) Tablet of Ri9van constitute the Ark referred to by Baha'u'llah in His (2) Prayers and Meditations, LXXI Tablet of Carmel and become the World Administra­ tive Center of the World Order of Baha'u'llah whose (3) Readings from T he Dawn-Breakers beginnings trace back to the concluding years of the Heroic Age of the Faith. ( 4) E xcerpts from T he Dispensation of Baha'u'llah The election of the Universal House of Justice, (5) E xcerpts from God P asses B y designated by Shoghi Effendi as "the supreme legis­ lative body of the Administrative Order of the Faith (6) P oem by Andalib of Baha'u'llah," took place on the morning of the first (7) Tablet of Visitation day of Ri9van. The manner in which it was carried out and the results were reported by H and of the Cause Paul E . H aney at the Most G reat Jubilee a few days later, as follows:

After casting their ballots for the first Universal H ouse of Justice, the delegates leave the house of the Master. Delegates assemble at the International Archives Building between sessions of the convention.

The election was held in the House of the Master "When the balloting was completed," he concluded, and the Guardian in Haifa. "every one felt that Baha'u'llah had indeed been The delegates gathered and entered the main hall present in that gathering and that a unique and silently and all were in their designated places by wonderful pattern had been established for the world 9:30 a.m. to marvel at and in the fullness of time, to follow." 'Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum gave a brief ad­ Following the casting of the ballots and the appoint­ dress of welcome and explained the mechanics of the ment of eighteen tellers representing as many coun­ election. There were two prayers only, preceding the tries, all the delegates except the tellers adjourned election itself. for luncheon. In mid-afternoon they gathered a second The 288 members of the fifty-one national and regional time at Bahji where, in the beautiful gardens in front spiritual assemblies present proceeded to fill out their of the Shrine of Bah a'u'llah, they, together with the ballots. believers who reside in and near the Twin Holy Cities Ballots were received from every national and re­ of 'Akka and H aifa, commemorated the Feast of Ric_i­ gional spiritual assembly - fifty-six in all. Represent­ van, followed by another visit to the resting place of atives were present from all but five of these fifty-six Baha'u'llah. assemblies. The three-day convention resumed the following In silence the roll was called, each National As­ morning. Opened by 'Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum, sembly in alphabetical order. The members present there were three sessions on each of the remaining placed their ballots in the ballot box and those from two days, with one of the H ands of the Cause presiding absentee delegates were called and deposited by the and the discussion led by a different delegate. chief tellers. The program included the subjects listed elsewhere, As the various assemblies came forward, Mr. Haney none of which, unfortunately, can be summarized be­ commented, one was continuously impressed by the cause of lack of space and time for preparation for widely representative character of the electors and this issue of BAHA'I NEws. Suffice it tn ""'Y that all that we "were privileged to witness one of the great events of history taking place before our eyes." (Continued on page six) BAHA 'I NEWS

Except for the first day, an of the convention sessions took place at the Beth H arofe auditorium in Haifa.

Program FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION April 21-23 , 1963 'Akka - Haifa World Center of the Baha' i Faith April 21 9 :30 a.m. Election of the Universal House of Justice 4:00 p .m. Ric;lvan Feast Commemorating the lOOth Anniversary of the Declaration of Baha'u'llah April 22 10:00 a.m. The Victories of the World Crusade 3:00 p.m. Teaching the Faith Mass Conversion Home Front Teaching ...- Liberalization of Enrollment of New With great happiness R-­uJ:i,iyyih K hanum offers best Believers wishes to members of the new administrative body. 8:30 p.m. Status of Other Crusade Goals (including the Mother Temple of Europe) April 23 10:00 a.m. Consolidation of the Faith P reservation of Local Assemblies­ The Spiritual P rizes Importance of P ioneers Remaining at their P osts Establishment of Administration and its P roper Use The Nineteen Day Feast 3:00 p.m. Consolidation of the Faith (continued) P rotection of the Faith Importance of Firmness in the Covenant Public Relations of the Faith Meeting Attacks Making Friends for the F aith Need for Caution in Critical Areas 8:30 p.m. Intensification of the Spirit of T eaching throughout the World Charles Wolcott, having received the highest number of Closing of the Convention votes, responds to applause of the delegates. 6 discussions were very spirited, and while no formal resolutions were presented or adopted, all delegates have taken back to their national communities many valuable ideas which they may be able to incorporate in their own teaching and proclamation plans in the years ahead. The results of the election (reported in the cable­ gram from the Hands of the Faith printed on page 1 of this issue of BAHA'f NEws) were announced at the close of the morning session of the convention on April 22. The nine members were introduced and greeted by Rui)iyyih Khanum and each believer pres­ ent felt he had witnessed not only the birth of an institution which would be regarded by posterity as the " last refuge for a tottering civilization" but also the beginning of a new and more glorious stage in the evolution of the World Order of Baha'u'llah. This was Hand of Cause Leroy Joas with a few of the delegates. indeed an occasion of great rejoicing in the com­ m unity of the Most Great Name around the world and another historic and history-making step toward "that blissful consummation" envisioned by the be­ loved Guardian in his message of April 1955 "when the shackles hampering the growth of their beloved Faith will have been finally burst asunder, when its independent status will have been officially and uni­ versally recognized, when it will have ascended the throne and wielded the scepter of spiritual and tem­ poral authority, when the brightness of its glory will have illuminated the whole earth, and its dominion will have been established over the entire planet. " " . .. from the heart of Zion there cometh the cry: 'The promise is fulfilled. That which had been an­ nounced in the holy Writ of God, the most Exalted. the Almighty, the Best-Beloved, is made manifest.',. (Gleanings from the Writings of B ah

-CHARLOTTE M. LINFOOT Group of delegates in the gardens at Bahji.

During a visit to Bahji the friends gather briefly in one area of the beautiful verdant gardens. BAHA'I NEWS 7

BAHA'' I ' WORLD CONGRESS

RIQVAN 120 April 28 - May 2, 1963

PROGRAMME OF SPEAKERS

SUNDAY 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 8 p.m. April 28 PUBLIC MEETING OPENING OF THE WORLD UNITY WITH SECURITY FIRST WORLD BAHA'f CONGRESS Chairman: John Long THE DAY OF VICTORY Speakers: Philip Hainsworth Chairman: Enoch Olinga William Sears Speakers: 'Amatu'l-Baha Rul).iyyih Khanum H asan Balyuzi 'Ali Akbar Furutan WEDNESDAY 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 1 T_HE SPIRITUAL CONQUEST OF THE PLANET

MONDAY 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chairman: 'Ali Nakhjavani April 29 THE OPENING OF NEW TERRITORIES THE MISSION OF BAHA'U 'LLAH VICTORIES OF THE PIONEERS Chairman: Zikru'llah Khadem Speakers: Enoch Olinga Ruth P r ingle THE PROMISE OF ALL AGES Marion Hofman Massoud Khamsi THE BLESSED BEAUTY Amoz Gibson 'fara'.?u 'llah Samandari 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. THE SPIRITUAL CONQUEST OF THE PLANET 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Chairman: K . K . Bhargava CELEBRATION OF THE NINTH DAY OF RIQVAN ENRICHMENT OF THE WORLD BAHA'I COMMUNITY THE RIDVAN FEAST ENROLLMENT OF THE MASSES Chairman: Luis de Fretes Speakers: Shirin Bowman Alvin Blum Jamshed Fozdar Ral).matu'llah Muhajir TUESDAY 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 30

THE UNFOLDMENT OF THE DIVINE PLAN THURSDAY 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chairman: H. Borrah Kavelin May 2 THE VISION OF ' ABDU 'L-BAHA Rowland E stall OUR SACRED DUTY, OUR GLORIOUS CHALLENGE Jan Sij sling Chairman: Gila Bata UNPARALLELED ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER THE INFALLIBLE Speakers: Annaliese Bopp H. Fatheazam GUIDANCE OF SHOGHI EFFENDI Ian Semple Peter Khan Knights of Baha'u 'llah will be presented John Robarts

3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. THE WORLD CENTRE OF THE FAITH SHOGHI EFFE DI, THE SIGN OF GOD Chairman: Charles Wolcott Chairman: William Masehla ITS UNIQUE SPIRITUAL Speaker: 'Amatu'l-Baha RU.l).iyyih SIGNIFICANCE Dr. Ugo Giachery Khan um ITS SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE CLOSING OF THE CONGRESS Abu'l-Qasim Faizi IMPORTANCE Paul Haney DEVOTIONAL United States believers gather in front of the Albert Memorial in London, May 2, 1963.

"M ost Great Festival" Is Joy ously Commemorated

" There must be something in a religion that prompt­ Because this issue of BAHA 'I NEws must go to ed an old Cypriot woman to sell her cow to help pay print within a week following the close of the World her passage to England. Congress, the most that can be done at this time is " Others had been saving for ten years. Many others to share with the friends the program and just a few of course could afford the trip. But however they highlights of some of the memorable sessions, each managed to converge on London, the thousands of one unique in its content and for its speakers. Later Baha'is who are meeting at the Albert Hall this week issues will carry some of the addresses in full and present one of the most astonishing examples of in­ others will summarize special events which left an ternational unity that can be imagined outside Utopia. indelible impression upon the minds and hearts of all "Their religion, Baha'i, which began in Persia in who were present. 1844, has now spread throughout the world and 260 Although the Jubilee did not begin until Sunday countries were represented today at the Albert Hall afternoon, April 28, believers began to arrive in London conference. by plane, by ship and by bus a week earlier. Ten " It was a colorful scene, but mingling mantillas, chartered planes each carrying 150 or more Baha'is sombreros, saris and other national clothing is only and members of their families came from the United an outward semblance of international unity. States alone. Royal Hotel Hall, open from April 21 to " There is something else, but it would be an im­ April 28, served as a meeting place where one could pudence to define what it is on a brief acquaintance." find old friends and make new ones and secure infor­ The foregoing item which appeared in the London mation about the Congress. Several hundred took ad­ Evening Standard April 28, one of many to be pub­ vantage of these days to tour parts of England or to lished in the London newspapers in the four days to visit places of interest in London itself whose in­ follow, represents the spirit in which the great city numerable parks were bedecked in spring's most received the more than 6,000 Baha'is gathered there magnificent color and bloom. in commemoration of the accession of Baha'u'llah to The imposing statue of Prince Albert in the park the throne of His sovereignty one hundred years ago across the street from Royal Albert Hall was the back­ and the world-wide establishment of His Faith. ground for hundreds of photographs of small and Just as it would be an impudence to define what it large groups of Baha'is who assembled there early was that brought the followers of Baha'u'llah to Royal and late and between sessions. Albert Hall, so would it be an impudence to try to Long before the first session opened on Sunday after­ recount in this brief report the never-to-be-forgotten noon, the main-floor seats, the boxes and balconies of events and experiences that combined to make this a Albert Hall were filled to capacity, but those who gathering such as the world had never witnessed in were obliged to find seats in the topmost rows under the past. the ceiling had the advantage of seeing spread before BAHA 'I NEWS 9 them, as a colorful garden, believers of every race Shoghi Effendi whose earthly remains lay at rest in and color, many in the national or native dress of a cemetery a few miles away in that very city. the countries from which they came. Another memorable and · moving address was that On the spacious platform, decorated with beautiful by 'Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum in the closing floral arrangements, there were seated the Hands of session when she spoke of Shoghi Effendi as "The the Faith and the members of the newly elected Uni­ Sign of God," his arduous and glorious - and some­ versal House of Justice who were to be introduced times almost heart-breaking - mission as the Guard­ on Tuesday forenoon by Hand of the Cause Paul ian of the Baha'i Faith, his wisdom and his great E. Haney. Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga called the love for the believers, including glimpses of him as a vast audience to order and following prayers and man. Her explanation of the symbology of the monu­ chants in several languages, he introduced 'Amatu'l­ ment erected to his memory in the London cemetery Baha Rut,tiyyih Khanum who spoke about the great made the visits of the believers to his resting place victories which the Baha'i world community was cele­ all the more impressive. brating on this historic occasion, comparing the cur­ Tremendous Crowd at Public Meeting rent statistics, already out-of-date, with those given by The celebration of the Ninth Day of Ric;lvan, com­ the beloved Guardian on the occasion of the launching pletely devotional in content, and the public meeting of his Ten-Year Global Crusade. on Wednesday evening were two of the very special Hand of the Cause Hasan Balyuzi followed, speak­ events, the latter drawing a tremendous crowd. The ing on the same subject, " The Day of Victory," and address by H and of the Cause William B. Sears at Mr. 'Ali Akbar Furutan, speaking in Persian also this session included moving references to the part on the same subject, concluded the first session. that has been played by London and Great Britain Thus the keynote of the Great Jubilee was struck in the history of the Faith, including Queen Victoria's and for five days the friends listened attentively, reply to the tablet addressed to her by Baha'u'llah, sometimes moved to tears of gratitude, sometimes ap­ and the great bounty conferred upon that city in being plauding, to the addresses of the speakers who re­ the site of the resting place of Shoghi Effendi. counted the tremendous growth and strength which Further reports will cover more of the Jubilee, the Cause of Baha'u'llah had achieved under the leadership of the beloved Guardian and in his memory. including the message which was read from the There were moments when one felt that the Master National Spiritual Assembly of Iraq which had been and the Guardian were looking on, smiling happily deprived for reasons beyond its control of serving and murmuring "Well done." as the host to this historical gathering, and the remarks of the wife (who was present with her children) of Hand Recounts Visi t with Baha 'u'llah one of the three Moroccan Baha'is who have been While each session was unique and equally impres­ condemned to death because of their allegiance to sive, those which seemed to touch the hearts of one Baha'u 'llah and His laws. and all most deeply were those addressed by 'Amatu'l­ Although the victories of the Faith in the past one Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum and Hand of the Cause hundred years, and particularly the last ten, have 'farafu'llah Samandari. In his talk on "The Blessed been unprecedented in number and scope, every Beauty " 88-year-old Mr. Samandari recounted his ex­ Baha'i who was present at this historic gathering left periences during his visit at the age of sixteen with the Congress with full appreciation of the fact that Baha'u'llah and quoted from some of the most poetic what has been achieved is only a beginning and that writings of the Best Beloved. At one point he called our task for long years ahead is the completion of for an expression of appreciation and love for the the mission assigned to us in the Master's Tablets of beloved Guardian, and for at least fifteen seconds the Divine Plan, the strengthening of the administra­ the entire audience stood in absolute silence, each tive institutions of the Faith, and the conquest of the and all feeling they were in the very presence of hearts of all peoples throughout the entire planet.

LEFT: One of the oldest U.S. Bahci'is at the World Congress, Lucy Marshan of San Francisco saw 'Abdu'l-Bahci sev­ eral times during His visit to America in 1912. RIGHT: Group of believers from six countries-England, India, Ma­ laya, Nigeria, Pakistan, United States. 10 JUNE 1963

Typical of the departure scenes in several cities as hundreds oj U.S. Baha'is started for London on charter fi ights to attend the World Congress, these pictures were taken at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago.

London newsstand advertises Baha'i World Congress in Newspapers Carry Accounts effort to sell souv enir edition of News and Star. of World Congress As this issue of BAHA'i Ews goes to press, several comprehensive reports of the World Congress in London have appeared in U.S. newspapers. For example, the Chicago Tribune ran stories on April 25 and 29 , the second about three-fourths of a column long, and both credited to the paper's London bureau. Other papers which have representatives in London provided similar coverage. The accounts thus far ob­ served were unbiased and for the most part factually correct. Stories and pictures were naturally prominent in London newspapers. Notable was the Evening News and Star which devoted practically two full pages, in a special souvenir edition, to illustrations of groups of believers from around the world, as well as a fine view of the inside of Royal Albert Hall with its many tiers of seats filled with Baha'is. This same paper carried an­ other article on the closing day of the Congress. While som E' of the headlines were a little startling, the stories were sy mpathetic and in the main accu­ rate. One account stated that the Baha'is gathered in London " present one of the most astonishing examples of international unity that can be imagined outside Utopia." ( Aiso see page 8) BAHA'I NEWS 11

New Baha'i Institution Extends Passing of Auxiliary Board Member Condolences to Government of Israel Is Great Loss to Teaching Work The first official action of the newly elected Universal The members of all the national spiritual assemblies House of Justice was to send two representatives and all of the believers, particularly in the Western accompanied by two members of the body of the Hands Hemisphere, were shocked to learn of the sudden of the Cause in the Holy Land to Jerusalem on April death of Auxiliary Board member William deForge 24, 1963, to attend the funeral of the late President of on May 3 in Paris, France, where he had gone with the State of Israel, Izhak Ben-Zvi, who passed away his family for a brief visit following the Most Great the previous day. Representing the Baha'i world com­ Jubilee. On receipt of the sad news, the Universal munity, they were assigned a position of prominence House of Justice sent the following cablegram to among high-ranking officials of the Government of Mrs. De Forge and her son, William deForge, Jr.: Israel, members of the diplomatic corps and dignitar­ " Grieved (to) learn (of the) passing (of) beloved, ies of other religions. devoted, steadfast servant, William deForge. His ex­ The following telegram was sent to the Govern­ emplary service (is) memorable (and) deeply appre­ ment of Israel by the Universal H ouse of Justice: ciated. P rayers (have been) offered (for the) progress "Members of (the) newly elected supreme adminis­ (of) his soul (in the) Abha Kingdom." trative body (of the) Baha'i Faith extend condolences In transmitting to the National Spiritual Assembly (to) your Government and people on (the) passing (of) of the United States a copy of the foregoing message, your much loved President Izhak Ben-Zvi. His contri­ the Universal House of Justice added the note that butions to (the) betterment of human society (are) Mr. deForge's " passing (is an) inexpressible loss indelibly inscribed (on the) pages of history." (to the) teaching work (in the) Western Hemisphere. " The H ands of the Cause also sent their condolences in the following message: " On behalf (of the) Baha'i communities throughout the world (we) wish (to) express (our) profound sym­ Believers of Monaco pathy (over) the passing (of) Israel's much loved, highly respected President Izhak Ben-Zvi." Tell of Progress Extensive teaching work this past year in Monaco resulted in enrollments which brought the total number of believers up to twenty. Other declarations, no .r--- Holy Days Given Recognition doubt, will be made through the continuing and dedicat­ ed efforts of the friends. by School Systems in U.S. Several conferences were held in Monte Carlo, and The Spiritual Assembly of Davenport, Iowa, reported firesides were continuous. A number of visiting teach­ on April 2 that the Davenport Public Schools have ers, including Hand of the Cause Dr. Giachery, added recognized the Baha'i Holy Days. The children will be greatly to the interest of the contacts. granted excused absence and will make up their The first Baha'i marriage in the principality took chool work. place early in 1963, uniting the daughter of a pioneer­ On April 6, 1962, the superintendent of the Alexandria ing family and a Monegasque. (Virginia) City Schools extended to Baha'i children the same privilege which had previously been granted to children of other religions to remain away from classes on their Holy Days. A written request from the Some of the guests at the Most Great Jubilee celebra­ parent of each child must be presented. tion held in Wilmette, Illinois, with the cooperation of Ev anston and Winnetka.

National Assembly Cited by U.S. Committee for the United Nations In its annual report for 1962 the United States Com­ mittee for the United ations has, as previously, giv­ en special commendation to the National Spiritual As- embly of the United States. The Assembly was one of eighteen national organizations cited as outstanding among the one hundred thirty-five that last year co­ operated with the Committee in developing community interest in the United ations. Specifically the Baha'is were one of four organiza- ~ tions commended for their cooperation in supplying UN materials, notably for United ations Day. (The assiduous efforts of the Baha'i UN Committee in getting the materials to assemblies and groups were highly effective.) 12

Mother Tempie of Europe

A blue mosaic with the Most Great Name in golden letters has been nlaced in the lantern, the doors are installed and the a mbula tory is enclosed with glass. n ·-·>

Hawaii Moves Toward ed in pamphlet form . The general teaching method employed has been to Goal of Mass Conversion send teams of two or three Bah a'is from their home is­ lands to one of the other islands, since new contacts ap­ pear more stimulating than " neighbors. " The teams Since being called to the task of mass teaching in are chosen in order to p resent the interracial character ovember of 1962, the Honolulu E xtension Teaching of the F aith to the people of this multi-racial society . Committee h as enlisted the aid of every B aha'i in H a­ P lans and details of a teaching trip are m ade by the waii. The cooperation and endeavor of the believers has local communities, and the visitors arrive to accom­ been magnificent; newly declared friends, though in­ plish t he mission th rough love, enthusiasm and discus­ experienced in teaching, have been very effective sion. through their sincerity and enthusiasm. A dispersion As many as sixteen teaching teams per month ha ve h as begun, several of the teachers having resigned been sent to the four " outer islands" from Honolulu. their jobs to relocate, and it only remains to reap the Over five hundred interested contacts have been de­ fruits of their efforts. The versatility, ingenuity and un­ veloped on one island alcne, and several entire church flagging devotion of the teachers has created a real groups have shown definite interest on another island. awaren ess of the Baha'i Faith . The deepening of new The declaration of one Christian minister and the help believers is the developing need. of several community leaders in fo r warding the work The difficulties are evident when it is realized that all are among the " seeding" results to date; and new op­ travel is by air over open seas, and that innumerable portunities arise weekly. An average week-end teach­ small settlements and plantation camps must be ing trip involves firesides and public meetings in eight reached where no accommodations exist. In addition, to ten locations, with up to five hundred miles of travel the barrier of some fourteen different languages com­ and four to five hundred persons being contacted. State monly in use in the islands has posed some problems of teaching conferences, formerly held once a year, are communication. T ranslations into Ilocano (one of the now being held monthly; and the mutual assistance of major F ilipino dialects spoken in H awaii) of Baha'i all the H awaiian ·communities has knitted the believers prayers h ave been made, and thousands of copies p rint- into a unity never before experienced.

Conference called by the European H ands last D ecember in Luxembourg (see March i ssue, page 5) . LEFT: Be­ liev ers and guests at Unity Banquet. RIGHT : 'Amatu'l-Bahci Ru l),i yyih Khcinum addresses the gathering, with An­ naliese Bopp interpreting. Seated, left to right: Mrs. Angeline Giachery, Dr. Eugen Schmidt, Mrs . Mari on H of ­ man, H and Ugo Gi achery, Hand H asan Balyuzi, I n tern ational Coun ci l member M iss Jessie Rev ell, Hand Adel bert M iihlschlegel. 13

AU-Indian Baha'i community of Agua Linda in Apure State, Venez~ela , with Dr. Israel Pos­ ner. The members are all of the Yaruro Tribe .

pressed their desire to travel up the river in order to First Cari be and Yaruro Indians teach the Yaruros in other villages. Almost simultaneously, on January 5, in another of Venezuela Enter the Faith part of the country, the first members of the Caribe Tribe in Venezuela also entered the Faith. In the vil­ Members of the Guahibo T ribe in the Amazon Ter­ lage of Mayagua in Bolivar State, a Baha'i community ritory were the first Indians in Venezuela to accept the has been formed with sixteen Caribe members. These Message of Baha'u'llah-October 1962. Since then news Indians, also very poor, live primarily from agricul­ of the Prophet of the new era has been carried by tural products grown along the shores of the Orinoco various pioneers to several other Indian regions, and River. two of these areas have already brought forth their A month later another visit was made by Dr. Israel first fruits. P osner to the village of Mayagua resu ting in four In the interior of Apure State, a region of extensive additions to the Baha'i community, and the establish­ and lonely plains, fourteen very humble but warm­ ment of a group in nearby Montafiita. An isolated In­ hearted Yaruro Indians from the village of Agua Linda dian believer from Buena Vista entered the Faith at entered the Faith on December 31. These Indians are this time. extremely poor, and manage to eke out a meager ex­ With all-Indian local assemblies formed in Agua istence primarily from hunting and fishing. They re­ Linda and Mayagua, and with the added advantage quested that the pioneers return as soon as possible to that most of the Indians speak Spanish, it is hoped teach them more about the divine message, and ex- that the Faith will spread rapidly in these regions.

Why go home only to return? Some pioneers are sup­ Prayers of Believers ported by other pioneers who have work and can't go into the hills. Will Strengthen Pioneers " The last few months we have had a larger influx of Taken from a letter written by a pioneer in Guate­ new believers than ever before .... They are the In­ mala, the following extracts could well apply to pioneer dians of the hills around Huehuetenango, Chichicaste­ posts around the world. nango and Quezaltenango. This is not mass conversion " I do believe the pioneers are a forgotten army ex­ but I believe we are beginning to see it. cept to the Western H emisphere Teaching Committee " The ways of God are mysterious . . . when we were and the National Spiritual Assembly. Without their asked, 'How many will be in London or H aifa?' nine prayers and help, some of us could not have stayed. raised their hands with quaking hearts for only two How much stronger would we be if each Baha'i of the knew for sure they could go ... but five of the National United States would add to the obligatory prayer a Assembly members will be in Haifa and more of us in daily prayer for us. London. Tell me, please, how pioneers with no money "Now the Crusade is almost over. Some of our native can go halfway around the world without the help of pioneers are returning home to look for steady work. Baha'u'llah. He must want us there. Some native pioneers are just going out. Almost all of "When we come back we will enter another fast pe­ the U.S. pioneers here will remain on the job. Give up? riod. This time because of funds. But who cares after I should say not! There will be another Crusade soon. going to those places ... Who will need material food?" JUNE 1963 14

Brazil Exceeds Assigned Goals

Magi Mirim

Belem

Through gaining five new local assemblies between April 21 and December 31, 1962, Brazil more than doubled the number specified by the beloved Guardian in his Ten-Year Plan. He requested six and thirteen were established.

Recife Pictures, counter-clockwise from upper right: First Spiritual Assembly of Belem, Brazi l, formed 1962. Santo Andre Left to right, seated: Manuel Caldeira (chairman) , Dirce Cavalcanti, L ucinda Chaves (treasurer), E ster Garcia, E vangelina Miranda (recording secretary) . Standing: Ruy Ventura, Paquita L opez (secretary), Maria Almeida, Walber Garcia (vice-chairman).

F irst Spiritual Assembly of Magi Mirim, Brazil, formed December 1962 . Left to right, seated: Maria Arias, Antonio Esquina, Manuela Gonzales, Sebastiiio Gon­ zales, Stella Nikobin. Standing: Qodratullah Soltani, Ferdoz Soltani, Manucher Nikobin, Dora Connor.

F irst Spiritual Assembly of Recife, Brazil, elected R ic_ivcin 1962 . Members: Alberto Souza, Peter Prior, Kouros Ghobad, Feridoon Ghobad, Alberta Souza, Mrs. Prior, Eline Ghobad, Elizabeth Rozsler, Pouran Ghobad. F irst Spiritual Assembly of Santo Andre, Brazil, formed September 1962. Left to right, seated: Tahereh Abrar­ pour, Shoghieh Kashani, Rosicler de Oliveira, Mrs. Sigala, Amelia Attadia. Standing: Parvis Abrarpom, Mohamad Shaikzadeh, Afonso Attadia, L elia Sigala . Part of the audience at one of a series of public meetings in the mass proclamation effort, Lucerne, Switzerland, with Dr. Walter Ott as speaker.

International News Briefs Miss Nyoakee Baker, recently declared youth in Gulfport, Mississippi, spoke to 395 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 at a meeting of the New Homemakers of America, telling them about the Faith. She used some of the Baha'i principles in a skit which was part of her presentation. 0 When the Urban League of Flint, Michigan, asked the public for help in its efforts to improve human relations, the Spiritual Assembly accepted the chal­ lenge and offered a program. A presentation of the Faith, especially in regard to the oneness of man­ kind, was made to an audience of 300 which asked many questions. Literature was left for further study, and it was announced that classes would be available to those interested. A program was offered to a Flint TV station, which Under the guidance of their teachers the Baha'i chil­ resulted in twenty-two minutes of questions and an­ dren of Vevey, Switzerland, gave an Intercalary Day swers. The interviewer expressed a desire to learn party for their friends and the adult members of the more about the Faith, and was given literature. This community. The program included supper, entertain- was an excellent contact and could well lead to other ment and an exhibit of their work. programs.

Window displays in the new post office of bi-lingual Biel, Switzerland. LEFT: Predominantly in German, this ex­ hibit was used in December and January. RIGHT: This display, in French balanced by the Baha'i principles in German, was used in February and March.

Rl!vl!lation •<: . ~rogressive 16 c1 'NG· oua .... , ...... ·· . Naw-Ruz was the occasion '••' •.. · ·.. · chosen for ceremonies opening IU3 the new If a?iratu'l-Quds of Son­ Tinh, Quang-Nam Province, Central Vietnam. The observ­ ance drew viHage officials and guests from other towns. Built in commemoration of the Most Great Jubilee, it is the seventh If a?iratu'l-Quds to be construct­ ed in Vietnam. Naw-Ruz 120

11111

The Naw-R1'tz celebration in Rockville, Maryland, started with a dinner for 120 Bahci'is and guests. LEFT: Pil­ grim Church Choir which sang Bahci'u'llcih's healing prayer with musical setting by Maryland believer Mrs. Phoe­ be Pfaehler (at piano). RIGHT: "The Versatiles" who provided part of the music for the evening. They were im- pressed by the obviously amicable interracial gathering and asked for literature.

A large number of communities and groups participated in the Naw-Ruz observance attended by 135 in Cleveland, Ohio. Starting with a buffet supper, a varied program was enjoyed by adults and children. Shown is the audience during a puppet show given by Baha'i youngsters, the eldest• being only eleven years of age . N aw-Ruz celebration held at the If a?iratu'l-Quds of Thu Due District of Gia Dinh Province in South Vietnam.

~ _...... ______Believers and their friends at a Naw-Ruz gathering in Naw-Ri'tz celebration of Durham (North Carolina) be­ San Juan, Puerto R ico. lievers and friends, including Christians, Hindus and Z oroastrians who contributed to the occasion.

Part of the believers and guests who gathered to wel­ T he Springfield (Illinois) community and guests at a come the new year in Stamford, Connecticut. In addi­ Naw-RV.z celebration which also commemorated the tion, the community gave a party for Baha'i children twentieth anniversary of the incorporation of the Spirit- in the afternoon. ual Assembly of Springfield. JUNE 1963 18

the essence of warmth, friendship and love to be found in firesides held in Baha'i homes. The meetings were termed " Giant Firesides," and were held once a month beginning in November. Each community arranged a Giant Fireside in its area and was administratively responsible for the meeting. The representatives met once each month to review the previous fireside and assist in the prepara­ tion of the next one. Mindful of the admonition to demonstrate the basic principle of the oneness of man­ kind to the public, it was determined to utilize the talents of the various races. E ach spiritual assembly was asked to request that all of its members con­ scientiously attend each meeting thereby assuring min­ imum attendance of fifty-four persons. These meetings were a cooperative effort from first to last even to the contributing of funds. Advertising was placed by each community in its local paper. The community conducting the meeting In Bangkok, Thailand, Naw-Ruz was observed with a placed the largest "ad ," using the largest allotment large dinner attended by more than eighty dignitaries, of funds set aside for that purpose. Invitations were including Thai officials, several ambassadors and diplo­ ordered in sufficient quantity for all six meetings, matic representatives. The prime minister, unable to and divided among the communities for mailing. be present, sent his good wishes. Shown is Dr. Hans The first Giant Fireside was presented on November Ulrich Von Schweinitz (left), West German ambas­ 30 , and the sixth and last on April 12. sador, being greeted by Jamshed Fozdar of the Region- Though following closely a prepared format of al Assembly of South-East Asia. choosing the chairman from the host community, hav·· ing two speakers, a question-and-answer period and refreshments, each meeting developed its own char­ acter. All the gatherings achieved the desired at­ mosphere of warmth, love and relaxed friendliness, Cooperating Communities and the attendance was more than gratifying with Stage "Giant Firesides" close to 200 persons each time and once nearly 250. A totally unexpected result of the success of these In October of 1962 the Spiritual Assembly of Bever­ meetings was the holding of Giant Firesides by other ly Hills, California, after having obtained the ap­ groups of communities in the Southern California area proval of the National Spiritual Assembly, requested and even as far distant as San Francisco. The most the communities of Burbank, Culver City, Los Angeles, rewarding direct results were declarations in three Santa Monica and West Hollywood to join in planning of the localities, thus helping to " swell the ranks" a series of large intercommunity firesides as an ad­ of believers. An added bounty is a new dedication junct and stimulus to the teaching activities being among the members of the cooperating communities carried out in those cities. together with a renewed sense of unity and fellowship Representatives of the communities met and their among the members not only within each individual consultation brought agreement that the philosophy community, but also between the communities. The of the intercommunity firesides would be to conduct, positive and constructive impact of these meetings will in a large rented hall, meetings that would convey become increasingly evident in the months to come.

Giant Firesides in California. LEFT: Part of the audience at the Burbank meeting. RIGHT: West H qllywood gather­ ing at which prayers of Bahci'u'llcih were given in English, F rench, German and Spanish. Indian proclamation conference in Nebraska. LEFT: Some attendants at the Pow Wow Grounds of the Omaha Reservation. RIGHT: A section of the round dance on the Winnebago Reservation.

"Gathering in Prayer for the New Day" present. Sunday morning the meeting in Macy began with prayers, followed by color slides of other Baha'i In­ A proclamation conference - " Gathering in Prayer dian gatherings. After lunch th ere was a program of for th e ew Day" - was held the last of March on prayers and Baha'i speakers. About a hundred peo­ the Omah a and Winnebago Reservations in Nebraska. ple attended, including seventy non-Baha'i Indians. A Since the first all-Indian assembly was formed on the wonderful spirit of fellowship and love was felt d u ring Omaha R eservation (at Macy in 1947), the meetings both days of the conference. were arranged to advance active interest in the Faith The meetings provided a fine example of m utual co­ among the Indians of these adjoining areas. operation. Believers from several locations gave as­ Several radio stations publicized the gatherings, and sistance, those from Sioux F alls assuming a large five newspapers carried articles. Posters were placed portion of the total task. Several speakers and par­ in three towns, and notices were sent to reservations ticipants traveled long distances in order to attend. and communities in the central portion of the United Some Indian members of the All Nations Club of Win­ States. nebago helped with food preparation and provided In­ The first day's program, at the "Self-Help Building" dian dancers and singers. The Minute Women of Macy. on the Winnebago Reservation, opened with a beauti­ an all-Indian women's club, cooked m uch of the food for ful prayer service outdoors, with prayers in several Sunday. Cooperation was given by the tribal councils languages. During the afternoon and evening sessions on both reservations. several speakers gave highly interesting and inspiring A spiritual awakening was no doubt created, and a talks on the F aith. A round dance took place, in which spiritual unity through prayer was clearly demonstrat­ Baha'is, their Indian friends and guests joined in a ed. Several non-Baha'i Indians remarked on the sincere large circle around the Winnebago drummers and friendliness and kindliness of the believers. Of course singers. About eighty persons, fifty non-Bah a'is, were this feeling was mutual.

LEFT: Sigrid and Nils RutfjiiLL of Tendalen, Sweden, the first Somer people (Lapps) to embrace the Faith. Febru­ ary 1963. RIGHT: A group of believ ers, including Mr. RutfjiiLL, and friends at a gathering in Uppsala. Sweden. 20 BAHA'I IN THE NEWS A two-thirds-page article on the Faith, including an illustration of the Wilmette Temple, in the April 26 issue of U.S. news magazine Time quoted from an interview with Rul)iyyih Khanum and mentioned both the election of the Universal House of Justice and the London World Congress. Slanted and inaccurate in many respects, the story disturbed and exasperated believers but, like similar pieces in the past, promptly Participants in workshop at Sarasota, Florida, one of gave rise to inquiries from interested readers. the nation-wide institutes held in March. The U.S. National Spiritual Assembly immediately cabled the magazine from London, protesting the pres­ entation of the Faith in such a false light and calling attention to specific errors. The National Assembly re­ reply was featured in ads in leading newspapers to quested that the long cable be published. ('Amatu'l­ gain added readership. As a gratifying sequel, the Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum has not remarried and she managing editor of Sasanggye was himself strongly attracted to the Faith and requested books to read. was misquoted.) 0 0 The U.S. Congressional Record of February 18 in­ A new U.S.-published Holiday Magazine Travel cludes a statement by Senator Keating regarding the Guide book called " Israel" contains a paragraph on persecutions in Morocco. His comments concerning the What to See in Israel that makes complimentary Faith were accurate, and he stressed " the importance statements about the Faith as well as the Mt. Carmel Shrine and gardens. of religious tolerance and self-restraint throughout the world." 0 The April 3 issue of Christian Science Monitor Calendar of Events refers to the Baha'i Moroccan situation in connection with King Hassan's comments at an Overseas Press FEASTS Club luncheon in New York City. June 5 - ur (Light) 0 The April 26 Jerusalem Post Weekly, overseas edi­ June 24- Rahmat (Mercy) tion of the Jerusalem (Israel) Post, reported election PROCLAMATION EVENT of the Universal House of Justice, named its members June 9 - Race Amity Day and announced their departure for the World Congress in London. It also mentioned a one-minute silence observed and a prayer offered by believers present in Haifa for the international convention, on the occasion Baha'i House of Worship of the death of President Izhak Ben-Zvi of Israel, and the message of condolence sent to the Speaker of the Visiting Hours Knesset. 0 Weekdays Under its section devoted to " Pick of the Paper­ 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Entire building) backs" the Saturday Review of March 23 lists the book 7:00 p .m. to 9:00 p.m. (Auditorium only) "Non-Christian Religions A-Z," first of four reference books planned by Universal Library, and mentions Su ndays and Ho li days that " the book is concerned with religion through his­ 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entire building) tory and includes Celtic mysteries, Baha'i, Hinduism 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Auditorium only) and Zoroastrian." 0 Service of Worship The January issue of Sasanggye (Intellectual Sundays World), Korea's most widely circulated magazine, 3:30 to 4:10 p.m. carried an article in which a professor in a Methodist­ sponsored university severely attacked the Faith. A Public Meeting lengthy reply by pioneer William Maxwell Jr. was published without change in the March issue, and Sunday, June 16 since foreigners rarely write in Korean journals, the 4:15 p.m.

BAHA'i NEWS is published for circulation among Baha'is only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Baha'i World Community. BAHA'i NEws is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee: Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Meinhard, Managing Editors; Mrs. ----._ Eunice Braun, International News Editor; Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, National Spiritual Assembly Representative. Material must be received by the twentieth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Baha'i News Editorial Office, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A. Change of address should be reported directly to National Baha'i Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.