Baha'i News "·""·,v •• ,,35 Augus11•1• The Fourth International Convention Baha'i News Baha'i Year 135 No. 569 For Baha'is Only Contents The fourth International Convention Delegates gather in Haifa to elect Universal House of Justice 2 Teaching the Faith in Thailand An all-out effort produces remarkable results 6 The Peoples of God: Lesotho A dynamic spirit of devotion, sacrifice in southern Africa 8 Around the world News from Baha'i communities in every corner of the globe .. ... 12 Cover Members of 108 National Spiritual Assemblies were in Haifa, Israel, April 28-May 2 for the historic fourth Baha'i International Conven­ tion, held as construction on the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel neared completion. A com­ prehensive report of the Convention begins on Page 2. Page 14 Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, Baha'i National Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091 , U.S.A. Please attach mailng label. Subscription rates : one year, U.S. $8; two years, U.S. $15. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091 . Copyright © 1978 , National Spirnual Assembly of the Baha'ls of the Unned States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Baha'i News is published monthly for circulation among Baha'ls only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahll'ls of the Unned 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: Baha 'i News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091 . U.S.A. As the Hands of the Cause Amatu' 1-Bahd RulJiyyih Khdnum and r---------------------------.. Paul Haney look on (top photo), the nine members of the Univer­ Six new National Spiritual Assemblies were formed in May, in sal House of Justice stand before the delegates to the fourth accordance with the goals of the Five Year Plan. A seventh, Burundi, Bahd' i International Convention. Th e newly-elected members was re-formed. are, from left to right, 'Ali NaAfijavdni, Borrah Kave/in, Amoz Listed here are the Hands of the Cause of God who represented the Gibson, f!ushmand Fatheazam, Ian Semple, Dr. David Ruhe, Universal House of Justice at the inaugural Conventions, the name of Charles Wolcott, David Hofman, Hugh Chance. the new National Spiritual Assembly, its seat, and the dates of the Convention. •Dr. Ugo Giachery , Cyprus (N icosia) , May 20-21. Fallowing the fourth Bahd' i International Convention, consulta­ • Dhikru' ll ah Khadem, Qatar (Doha'), May 18-19. tions were held between the International Teaching Centre and • Dhikru' ll ah Kh adem, Oman (Muscat), May 25-26. members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors (bottom • Dr. Ral,im atu ' llah Muhajir, the Mariana Islands (Agana, Guam), photo). Th e meetings took place May 3-7 at the World Centre. May 26-28. The photograph was taken at Mazra' ih. • William Sears, the Bahamas (Nassau) , May 19-21 . • Dr. 'Alf-Mul,iammad Varqa, Burundi (Bujumbura), May 20-21. • Dr. 'A lf-Mul,iammad Varqa, Mauritania (Nouakchott), May 27-28. 2 Baha'i News/August 1978 The Fourth International Convention Nearly 500 delegates from 108 of the 123 National Spiritual the tellers cast their ball ots, received by mail, as the roll was Asse·mblies then in existence gathered in Haifa, Israel, Ap ril cal led. 28-May 2 for th e hi storic fo urth Baha' i International Convention Nine National Spiritual Assemblies had all their members whose main purpose was the elec ti on of the Universal House of present: Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iran, Italy, Portugal, Ju stice , the supreme adm ini strative in stitution of the Fa ith. Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Elected to the Universal House of Ju stice, each with at least Whil e the tell ers retired to tabulate the ballots, the delegates two- thirds of the vo te , we re Hugh Chance, Hu shmand spent the early afternoon assembled at the co nstruction site of the Fatheazam, Amoz Gibson, David Hofman, Borrah Kavelin , 'Alf Seat of the. Uni versal House of Ju sti ce, on the Arc of Mt. Carmel Na.!s.bj avanf , Dr. David Ruhe , Ian Semple and Charles Wolcott. in th e vicinity of the Shrine of the Bab , for a di gnified but joyous Bes ides the 474 delegates, 13 Hands of the Cause of God and ceremony in which a casket containing du st from the Shrines of 52 members of the 12 Continental Boards of Coun se ll ors at­ th e Bab and Baha'u'llah was pl aced in th e structure by tended, as did the nine members of the Un iversal House of Justice Amatu' l-Baha RliJ:ifyyih Khanum on behalf of the Universal and the three Counsellors re sid ent in Haifa. House of Ju stice. Prior to the Conve nti on, the delegates enjoyed three days of The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery, who pre sided at pil grimage and praye rs at the Shrines and Holy Places of the the ce remony, recalled ho w Shoghi Effendi, in anticipation of the Faith. estab li shment of the Uni versal House of Ju sti ce, had called into The delegates we re gree ted on the first morning of the Conven­ ex istence the International Baha' f Council. ti on, Saturday, April 29 , in Haifa Auditorium , by the Hand of the Dr. Giachery introduced Ethel Revell who, together with Cause of God Amatu' l-Baha RliJ:ifyyih Khanum, who sa id, Amatu ' l-Baha RliJ:ifyyih Khanum and himself, was a member of " World society is disintegrating before our eyes- political, so­ the original Counci l. cial , eco nomic and reli gious systems alike-and the only refuge Then RliJ:ifyyih Khanum es tab li shed the theme and purpose of that remain s for mankind is this gift of Baha' u' ll ah, th e refuge and the ceremony. hope of mankind . " You are privileged to vote forthe Universal House of Justice, She pointed out that, to her, the Shrine of Baha'u' llah is a the body th at wa tches over the destinies of the Faith of "well sprin g of peace" on the planet; that out of Hi s resting place Baha' u'llah , th e body that guides, protects, and eqcourages us as pours a fountain of peace. we steer our course to the Kingdom of God on earth." "But from the building of the Universal House of Ju stice will She concluded, " How great, how sacred is the responsibility emanate the laws of the Di spensation of Baha' u'llah, " she said, that confronts those who vo te in this elec ti on, seek in g help, since "the role of the Un ive rsa l House of Justice is to protect , guidance, and in spirat ion from Baha' u'llah. " enforce, and enact new laws for the world in the Name of Then , as RliJ:ify yih Khanum pres ided, the chi ef tell er Baha'u' !! ah. -Jameson Bond of Canada-called the ro ll of the I, 107 mem­ '·From this source, the Universal House of Justice, will come bers of the 123 National Assemblies in the Baha'i world . the Justice that Baha' u' ll ah speaks of in His Writings," she said, Many of the delegates who moved to the stage to cast their add ing that today, when the Administrative Order is still being ballots were dressed in the costumes of their homelands. built and th e Faith is still being spread through the world, we are Fifteen of the 123 National Assemblies, through circumstances enjoyin g the "paternal and loving forbearance of the guidance beyond their control, were not represented at the Convention, but and protection of the House of Ju stice ." August 1978/Bah&'f News 3 Then she added, " But the day will come when it will blaze with Justice! That will be the day of the solution of a ll the problems of the world! " Rul:ifyyih Kh anum the n unve il ed a box that contained a silver casket, a g ift to he r from th e Guardian, in which were sealed two small boxes containing dust from the two Ho ly Shrines and a scroll w ritte n in Eng li sh and Persian that describes the contents of the casket. Rul~fyyih Khanum-accompanied by the building's architect, Husayn Amanat, and it s res ide nt e ng in eer , ' Aziz Khabfrpur-ascended a set of temporary stairs to a small niche high above the main e ntrance. With her own hands, she placed the casket in the niche , took up a trowel and sealed it in place. As these emissaries descended the sta irs, the assemblage quietly sang," 'All ah' u'Abha." The ceremony began and ended with prayers and readings in Persian , English, Portuguese, Swahili and French. Following thi s very special moment, the delegates proceeded to the Pilgrim House courtyard fo r the celebration of the ninth day of Ric;lvan. The Hand of the Cau e of God Abu' l-Qasim Faizf presided at the program, fo ll owin g w hi ch the friends c ircumam­ The delegates and guests who attended the Fourth Baha'i International bulated the Shrine of the Bab. Convention occupied a special platform erecred in front of the new Seat On Saturday evening, the friends reassembled in Haifa Au­ of the Universal House of Justice (top photo) when, on the ninth day of ditorium for an audio-visual presentation by the Hand of the Riqvan, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu' l-Baha Rii!Jiyyih Cause of God William Sears on the status of the Five Year Plan Khtinum , on behalf of the Universal House of Jusrice, placed a casket goals.