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Baha'i Faith
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Baha'i Faith - US Official Website
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Research the Baha'i Writings
19 Nov 2009 | 10:09 am -
Baha’is to observe two significant holy days
19 Nov 2009 | 8:48 amBaha’is will commemorate the Day of the Covenant on Nov. 25, and the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha on Nov. 28. read more -
Getting to the heart and soul of Thanksgiving
19 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amAt this season we reflect on the spiritual significance of thanksgiving with the following words of Abdu’l-Baha, son of Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha'i Faith. Abdu'l-Baha shared these thoughts when he visited the United States in 1912: read more -
New course explores scientific and spiritual dimensions of climate change
16 Nov 2009 | 12:03 pmA study course on the Scientific and Spiritual Dimensions of Climate Change has just been made available online by the International Environment Forum (IEF), a Baha'i-inspired organization addressing environment and sustainable development. read more -
Celebrating the birth of Baha’u’llah
9 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmI never dreamed, when I first encountered the Baha'i Faith as a young adult, that one day I would write a book about its Founder, Baha'u'llah, whose birthday Baha'is around the world celebrate November 12. read more
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Bahá’í World News
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UN resolution on Iran sends powerful message on human rights
20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amThe approval today of a strongly worded resolution on human rights in Iran sends a powerful signal to the Iranian government that the world is gravely concerned about how Iran treats its citizens, said the Baha'i International Community. The resolution, approved by a vote of 74 to 48 by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, expressed "deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring... -
Baha'is celebrate the Birth of Baha'u'llah
11 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amOn 12 November, Baha'is around the globe will celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith. Gatherings are held in thousands of localities – in homes, at public facilities, at local and national Baha'i centers, and at Baha'i Houses of Worship. Baha'is invite their friends and the public to join them in offering prayers and celebrating with special... -
World’s major religions present action plans on environment
4 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amLeaders representing the world's major religions, including the Baha'i Faith, gathered yesterday at historic Windsor Castle to formally launch a series of action plans involving their communities in a long-term effort to protect the environment. They were joined by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and HRH The Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a celebratory meeting that... -
Baha'is join global plan for "generational change" on climate change
27 Oct 2009 | 3:00 amThe Baha'i International Community today announced that it has become a partner in a United Nations-sponsored program to promote "generational change" to address climate change and environmental sustainability. The program, which is co-sponsored by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to promote lifestyle changes that will... -
Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set
18 Oct 2009 | 3:00 amAlthough the trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran for more than 17 months was scheduled for today, when attorneys and families arrived at the court offices in Tehran they were told it would not take place. No new trial date was given. "The time has come for these seven innocent people to be immediately released on bail," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's...
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Topix: Bahai World Faith News
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Baha'i news: UN resolution on Iran sends a powerful message on human...
20 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pmThe resolution, approved by a vote of 74 to 48 by the Third Committee of th e UN General Assembly, expressed "deep concern at serious ongoing and recur ring human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran." The list of violations included oppressive measures taken after the June presidential e lection and "increasing discrimination" against ... -
Bahai's mark Founder's birthday
20 Nov 2009 | 5:45 amFOR the members of the Baha'i Faith in Londonderry November 12 was one of the most important days of the year. -
Guess who came to dinner?
18 Nov 2009 | 11:06 amThe Jewish Star of David on Blake Winn's handwritten name tag caught Terri York's eye, Thursday night, as participants in a religious roundtable filled their plates for dinner with their Baha'i hostess. -
A forgotten dawn in Ashgabad
16 Nov 2009 | 11:02 amThe Bahai House of Worship in Ashgabad after its exterior was completed in 1919. -
Baha'is mark founder's day
14 Nov 2009 | 10:50 amMORE than 700 Baha'is nationwide celebrated the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of Baha'i faith on Thursday.
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Google News: Bahai Faith
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Faith groups urged to act together to tackle Africa's water crisis - Christian Today - India
20 Nov 2009 | 1:10 amFaith groups urged to act together to tackle Africa's water crisisChristian Today - IndiaThe initiative currently involves the seven faith traditions in Africa: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Bahai Faith and the African and more » -
Faith groups urged to act together to tackle Africa's water crisis - ChristianToday
19 Nov 2009 | 11:47 amFaith groups urged to act together to tackle Africa's water crisisChristianTodayThe initiative currently involves the seven faith traditions in Africa: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Bahai Faith and the African and more » -
Don't study money - Trinidad News
15 Nov 2009 | 9:39 pmDon't study moneyTrinidad NewsOther religious leaders speaking included Stephen Burris of the Bahai faith who spoke highly of the city of San Fernando. -
Everyday is special - 12 November 2009 - Today's Zaman
11 Nov 2009 | 3:04 pmEveryday is special - 12 November 2009Today's ZamanBorn Mirza Husayn-Ali in Tehran, Bahaullah is the founder of the Bahai faith. The anniversary of Bahaullah's birth is one of the nine days of the year when -
Traveling photo exhibit focuses on teen immigrants - 2TheAdvocate
7 Nov 2009 | 10:03 pmTraveling photo exhibit focuses on teen immigrants2TheAdvocateHis parents left Iran for the United States after the country's revolution so they could practice their Bahai faith. Now, his story isn't unique.
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Baha'i Thought
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Baha'i Dad Chronicles: Feeding Himself
21 Nov 2009 | 6:24 amI took a break from my early morning routine of doctoral studies to greet my wife and son. As I entered the dining room, I heard Douglass Ali say "mmmmmmmm" with great pleasure. My wife announced that he was feeding himself. As I rounded the corner of the high chair I was greeted by a yogurt covered son! Feeding himself included putting the spoon in his mouth backwards getting most of it up his nose and all over his face. I also noticed that he had made some yogurt artwork all over his tray. Douglass continued, stabbing the spoon vigorously into his cup of yogurt and putting it in his mouth… -
Black Madonnas, Black Messiahs
21 Nov 2009 | 3:18 amI was just speaking with my mother about the new disaster film 2012. While we disagreed about the merits of the film (mom loved it, I hated it), we agreed that as African Americans, the portrayal of our race was quite gratifying. 2012 featured not only an African American President (talk about art imitating life!) but two key characters who were African American Ph.D's. A central protagonist of the film is a black geologist who discovers the impending end of the world. Not only does he provide leadership in the effort to save the human race from extinction, but at a critical moment, provides… -
Spiritual Self-Mastery and Mental Health
16 Nov 2009 | 3:44 amI wanted Baha'i Thought readers to know about an awesome workshop that will be taking place at Bosch Baha'i School in December entitled, "Spiritual Mastery and Mental Health". The info is below. I particulary hope readers on the West Coast take advantage of this opportunity and then comment on your experience on this blog so the rest of us can learn from you! Also, learn more about the Baha'i Association for Mental Health here.Dear Friends,We hope to see you at the BAMH workshop at Bosch to be held on Dec 18-20, 2009 entitled "Spiritual Self-Mastery and Mental Health". Drawing upon the… -
Baha'i Dad Chronicles: 13 Months
13 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pmI think I'm turning into one of those dads who just want to talk about their kids all the time. Oh well, I guess there are worse states of being, right? Douglass Ali had another busy month of milestones and adventures. One of the things he got to do was meet some old friends of his mommy's from her college days. He also figured out that in addition to taking all the pots and pans out of the cupboard, he can also crawl inside there and hang around a bit. His walking has given way to running which apparently works better if you also giggle while you do it. Maybe giggling would get me running… -
Good Without God
1 Nov 2009 | 1:30 amThe atheism ads have now arrived in my own city of Boston. Check it out:Beside ads beckoning believers to explore Islam, attend services at the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church, or learn about the healing powers of Christian Science, the walls of the city’s subway cars will make room this month for another creed: nonbelief.A group called the Boston Area Coalition of Reason has spent $11,000 to buy ads on more than 200 subway cars on the Red Line and Green Line to raise awareness about people who believe that God is a myth. Surveys suggest that they account for an increasing number of…
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Baha'i Perspectives
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Hallowed Sanctuary
20 Nov 2009 | 6:52 amTwenty-one days to go! I am on the countdown to my Baha’i Pilgrimage and I can hardly wait. This won’t be the first time that I will go, but knowing what’s coming just adds to the excitement. Of course, I have gotten a few funny looks from friends when I tell them I am going on “pilgrimage”, but I guess it does sound a bit like a Chaucer play, so I can’t really blame them. But if you think about it, all religions have some version of a pilgrimage: a visit to a holy site which is usually linked to its Central Figure/s. Aside from Baha’i… -
Healing Wounds, Part II
15 Nov 2009 | 2:14 amAcceptance is the first step to overcoming a problem however simple or intricate it may be. When dealing with wounds of an emotional nature the process of healing must begin at this stage. From there the appropriate steps can be taken that will lead to sound and complete repair. However, until the person reaches that level of acceptance the wound they bear is a danger to their emotional wellbeing. Human beings are physical as well as spiritual. Having this dual reality, it is therefore necessary to provide for the requirements of both aspects. Hence, emotional wounds must be approached with… -
Promptings of the Spirit
9 Nov 2009 | 10:17 amA few days ago my new German flatmate walked into the room with a perturbed look on his face. A Masters student in Finance, he moved to London six weeks ago excited about the prospect of spending a year studying at a top university and experiencing life in one of the world’s great capitals. Yet matters were weighing heavily on him – and all he wanted to do at this juncture was pack up and return home once the year was over. He confessed waking up that morning in a contemplative mood, filled with profound thoughts about meaning and purpose – rather uncharacteristic of him, he… -
Safeguarding happiness
2 Nov 2009 | 4:20 pmPhotograph by Nathan Wolfe There is a softness that often times creeps in when sitting silently. The despondent and yet comforting rain falling outside lends itself to a certain mood. OK. Take a breath. Close your eyes. The peal of the lightning and thunder somewhere up above me keeps playing on my mind. It settles in. Happiness settles in. And yet this quiet but incessant voice speaks to me — “what do you know of hardship, of persecution, of oppression?” And then a chain reaction is set off and I ask myself — how do I even suppose to know empathy? How do we communicate… -
In a Fragmented City, Happiness: Vying in Service to the Good of All (Part II)
29 Oct 2009 | 8:24 amPhoto credit: Tom Dyson. The older one gets, the more one’s own mortality becomes painfully evident. I had a dream the other night that I was on a jet. My sister was in the lavatory, and I was outside telling her a joke, wanting to make her laugh. Suddenly, the plane began to plummet. We both grew silent, on opposite sides of the door, and in my head, all I could think about was how much had been left undone. Maybe I had that dream because recently, I’ve witnessed people around me, young and old, be afflicted with terminal illnesses. I spent the weekend in Northern…
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Google Blog Search: Bahai Faith
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Defending Shoghi Effendi « Sen McGlinn's blog
21 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pmThese are the only two instances in which Shoghi Effendi uses the word theocracy in connection with the Bahai Faith, and both refer to its internal organisation as a religious community, not to its theories about the organisation of the ... -
9 Thoughts, A Few Questions and Faith: Buddhism
21 Nov 2009 | 10:52 amNovember 22, 2009 at 12:43 am. very interesting, please read too more about bahai faith,look my video too, thanks. cuchulain55 says: November 22, 2009 at 1:32 am. laypeople are rated but is monastics i myself as a buddhist is neither. ... -
Bahá'í Thought: Black Madonnas, Black Messiahs
21 Nov 2009 | 3:18 amThe Baha'i Faith teaches that blacks have "great gifts of mind and heart" that they will offer to the creation of a new, global civilization, in Biblical terms, the Kingdom of God on earth. Could it be that films like 2012 are preparing ... -
Faith groups urged to act together to tackle Africa's water crisis
20 Nov 2009 | 1:01 amThe initiative currently involves the seven faith traditions in Africa: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Bahai Faith and the African Traditional religion. In his keynote address, Noko reminded IFAPA participants ... -
UNICEF - Civil society partnerships - UNICEF and faith-based ...
19 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pmUNICEF Image. © Baha'i Botswana/2009. At a class for students of the Baha'i faith in Botswana, children use guides developed by UNICEF in partnership with faith-based organizations. ...
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Baha'i Words
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November 21
20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmO SON OF SPIRIT! Ask not of Me that which We desire not for thee, then be content with what We have ordained for thy sake, for this is that which profiteth thee, if therewith thou dost content thyself. ~ Bahá’u’lláh -
November 20
19 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmO SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory. ~ Bahá’u’lláh -
November 19
18 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmO Son of Being! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof. ~ Bahá’u’lláh -
November 18
17 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmAll created things have their degree or stage of maturity. The period of maturity in the life of a tree is the time of its fruit-bearing. The maturity of a plant is the time of its blossoming and flower. The animal attains a stage of full growth and completeness, and in the human kingdom man reaches his maturity when the lights of intelligence have their greatest power and development. ~ Abdu’l-Baha -
November 17
16 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmO ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. ~ Baha’u'llah
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Baha'is of Tacoma, Washington
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Bahá’ís of Vietnam Website
19 Nov 2009 | 7:34 pmThe Bahá’í Community of Vietnam now has its own website! Please go to http://www.bahai.org.vn/ to view this exciting development. And check out the wonderful video of a children’s class. No translation is needed there. Happy young children speak a universal language. Here is a photo from the website. -
We are Community
16 Nov 2009 | 7:48 pmWe are devotional meetings. We are children’s classes. We are study circles. We are home visitors. We are community! Come meet us! -
Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in
8 Nov 2009 | 3:35 pmTwo 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. Reproduced courtesy of the Bahá’í International Community at http://media.bahai.org. The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be… -
The valiant horsemen of the Merciful
7 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pmTake heed that ye dispute not idly concerning the Almighty and His Cause, for lo! He hath appeared amongst you invested with a Revelation so great as to encompass all things, whether of the past or of the future. Were We to address Our theme by speaking in the language of the inmates of the Kingdom, We would say: “In truth, God created that School ere He created heaven and earth, and We entered it before the letters B and E were joined and knit together.” Such is the language of Our servants in Our Kingdom; consider what the tongue of the dwellers of Our exalted Dominion would… -
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
31 Oct 2009 | 11:21 amThe children of Mom village in Papua New Guinea, photographed here, will be among the main beneficiaries of the establishment of the medical aid post they are standing in front of. Reproduced with permission of the Bahá’í International Community at http://media.bahai.org/. The Bahá’ís of the United States, through their National Spiritual Assembly, have for many years supported the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and our support continues this year. The Trick-or Treat for UNICEF initiative, along with others, contributes to the realization of UNICEF’s mission to ensure that all…
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Baha'i Faith in Egypt
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Cotton Harvest-Time
9 Nov 2009 | 5:41 pmIt is harvest-time for Egyptian cotton, which is considered the finest in the world. Here is a bit of information on how the quality of cotton is assessed: Cotton is classified, not only according to length and strength of fiber, but also according to the condition of the cotton on a basis called "middling". Middling cotton is creamy white, with no evidence of dirt or gin-cuts (fibers matted and cut) and with only a few pieces of leaf and immature seeds. Middling-fair, the best, has a perfect,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
No One Should Ever Go Hungry
7 Nov 2009 | 7:53 pmSurvival instinct is clearly illustrated in this example. Click on it to enlarge the interior of the mouth of this hungry fish. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Freedom!
3 Nov 2009 | 2:27 pmA walking grasshopper...free to enjoy living! [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
A Trick of Nature
1 Nov 2009 | 3:31 pmSunset reflection on a high cloud. Northern New Mexico, USA, late October. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Trial of Iran's Baha'i Leaders Delayed Again
18 Oct 2009 | 8:40 amAccording to the Baha'i World News Service, the trial of the dissolved ad hoc group of Baha'i leaders in Iran, scheduled for today, has been delayed again. The full story is posted below: Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set 18 October 2009 GENEVA — Although the trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran for more than 17 months was scheduled for today, when attorneys and families arrived at the court offices in Tehran they were told it would not take place. No new trial date... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Persecution of Baha’is in Iran
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U.N. approves resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran
20 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pmToday, the U.N. General Assembly issued a strong condemnation of human rights violations in Iran, including violations against Baha’is. The resolution, which was approved in the Third Committee of the U.N. General assembly by a vote of 74-48, expressed “deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran” and [...] -
Guam Senate passes resolution on Baha’is in Iran
10 Nov 2009 | 7:40 amThe Pacific News Center today reported that the Guam Senate has passed resolution 148, urging the U.S. government to “push for Iran to release members of the friends of Iran and to cease persecuting the Baha’i community of Iran.” ShareThis -
Rep. Mark Kirk includes Baha’is in call for human rights in Iran
4 Nov 2009 | 10:12 amU.S. Representative Mark Kirk mentioned the Baha’is of Iran during remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace on November 4. After reading the names of 10 Iranian Baha’is currently imprisoned for their beliefs, Rep. Kirk said, I say their names out loud today because no matter how hard the Iranian regime tries to silence these voices, [...] -
Voice of America: Religious Liberty Violated in Iran
31 Oct 2009 | 12:12 pmOn October 30, Voice of America published the following editorial about religious freedom in Iran: The continuing imprisonment of 7 leaders of Iran’s Baha’i community falsely accused of capital crimes, as well as the incarceration of 2 Iranian Christian women who also lack adequate medical care, are 2 of the many cases that contribute to Iran’s [...] -
Baha’is included in 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran
26 Oct 2009 | 2:32 pmOn October 26, the U.S. Department of State released its 2009 International Religious Freedom Report on Iran, which includes several mentions of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority. For example, Adherents of religious groups not recognized by the Constitution, such as the Baha’is, do not have freedom to practice their beliefs. The Government prohibits Baha’is from [...]
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Befriended Stranger
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Arlington Prayer Station Invitation “Thanksgiving”
20 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pmO come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. (Judaism / Christianity, Holy Bible, Psalms, 95:1-2) Praised be God that following the firm decree of separation, the breeze of nearness and communion hath been stirred and the soil of the heart is refreshed with the waters of joy and gladness. We offer thanksgiving unto God in all circumstances and cherish the hope that He — exalted be His glory — may through His gracious providence guide all… -
Prayer Station: Patience
16 Nov 2009 | 8:04 pmThe God-conscious being is always unattached, as the lotus in the water remains detached. The God-conscious being is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all. The God-conscious being looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and the poor beggar. The God-conscious being has a steady patience, like the earth, which is dug up by one, and anointed with sandal paste by another. (Sikhism, Shri Guru Granth Sahib, Section 7 – Raag Gauree) Another prayer station, both unique yet usual. This time it was Max, Marite, Sohi and myself. -
Prayer Station Invitation “Patience”
13 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmCast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Christianity, King James Bible, Hebrews, 10:35-36) O ye who believe! seek help with patience and with prayer, for God is with the patient. (Islam, The Holy Qur’an, Sura 2 – The Cow) It behoveth whosoever hath set his face towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously unto the cord of patience, and to put his reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained. (Baha’i Faith,… -
Celebrating the Prince of Peace
12 Nov 2009 | 7:43 pmAs the years of my Baha’i life pass, my appreciation of celebrating Holy Days becomes deeper and more enjoyable. In the past couple of years, first thing I do on the first working day of the new year is to block all Baha’i Holy Days on my calendar and send the list to my boss. This way, planned from early on, it is very easy to ensure I do not work on a Holy Day. This year, the celebration of the Birth of Baha’u'llah, the Prince of Peace, was made doubly meaningful for me because I was able to attend it with two new friends who expressed interest in joining me during the… -
The Comforter
10 Nov 2009 | 8:13 pm“The Bulgarian peaches” she said with her face glowing, adding “I miss them so much, I had never eaten anything so delicious. I still remember their flavor, the firmness of their flesh, the colors, their juicy sweetness”. She was a nurse from Sierra Leone whom I met today while I was volunteering at my older daughter’s school during the administering of H1V1 vaccine to the little ones. My role was to be a Comforter, a parent who would comfort the children if they were scared. As we were waiting for the children to come, we started talking about where we were from…
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teaching.bahai.us
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"I would like to clone her"
4 Nov 2009 | 10:26 amWhen an individual contacts the Bahá’í community via the 800-22UNITE phone line or the public Web site www.bahai.us, the Seeker Response System regional specialist works with local believers to quickly respond to the seeker’s interest and connect them to Bahá’ís and core activities near them, according to their interest. The regional specialist, through accompaniment and encouragement, builds the capacity of the friends at the cluster level to more systematically respond to seeker inquiries. And in some clusters, this capacity is showing itself in beautiful and practical ways. Here… -
Empowering new protagonists through devotional gatherings
2 Nov 2009 | 2:48 pmThese two reports of devotional gatherings in Phoenix, AZ (A) are nothing short of stunning. As you read, you will see the beautiful coherence between all the core activities. You will see descriptions of gatherings that superlatively implement the ideal of unity in diversity. You will see teaching teams lovingingly accompanying the hosts, who are both doing this for the first time. And you will see that these gatherings are being organized and hosted by members of the community of interest. Now, what do we mean by “community of interest”? It is someone who is not a declared Bahá’í… -
"Are these not wonderful problems to have?"
2 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pmI guess we “spoke too soon” with last week’s story on the devotional gatherings at the Great Lakes Naval Station in the Waukegan, IL (*C) cluster. Here is an exciting update—these regular devotional gatherings at the naval base have led to some recent declarations! It shows the power of a core activity combined with a receptive population combined with systematic service of a dedicated group of friends.Dear N,You asked for a Great Lakes Naval Station update regarding the 4 recent declarations.Last week, one young man, __, man declared his today after his second visit to the devotional… -
Great Lakes Naval Station devotions
29 Oct 2009 | 3:10 pmDevotional gatherings are being established all over the country in all kinds of places. Here is a report about a particularly unique venue: a naval boot camp! For over a decade, a regular devotional meeting has been conducted at the Recruit Training Center of the Great Lakes Naval Station in the Waukegan, IL (*C) cluster. Through the dedicated efforts of several local believers, this core activity is now reaching and benefiting a receptive (and mobile) population. One of the current organizers provides a description of this initiative.Dear B,A group of us gives devotions for the recruit side… -
Is this not what we have been praying for?
29 Oct 2009 | 12:51 pmWith awe, we share with you this story from Phoenix, AZ (A). In less than 2 years since the friends there launched their IPG, they have been through 7 incredible cycles. What follows is a report of the expansion phase activities of a teaching team, the “Lean on Me Team”, composed entirely of new believers. Just read it. You will cry with happiness.Dearest Friends,Today Bahá’u’lláh showered His blessings upon the Bahá’í community. What an honor and joy it was to witness!First, let me remind you that during the cluster reflection meeting, the “Lean on Me Team”, the first…
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doberman pizza. a baha'i blog.
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I like the #df09 tag, but I’m …
18 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmI like the #df09 tag, but I’m not sure I wanted my “dragfyre ‘09″ presidential bid to go public just yet share this page! » -
RT @luuxuanhao F.A.Q on #Vietn…
18 Nov 2009 | 6:24 amRT @luuxuanhao F.A.Q on #Vietnam blocking #facebook . Interesting read. http://bit.ly/qIVW4 #fbvnblocked share this page! » -
#Facebook users all over #Viet…
17 Nov 2009 | 8:53 pm#Facebook users all over #Vietnam confirm, site is blocked. #spreadtheword #fbvnblocked share this page! » -
Vietnam Internet users fear Fa…
17 Nov 2009 | 2:05 pmVietnam Internet users fear Facebook blackout: http://bit.ly/4tglHh (AP/SF Chronicle) share this page! » -
RT @islamwest The Most Corrupt…
17 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pmRT @islamwest The Most Corrupt Nations On Earth http://2tu.us/13lo – should be “nations seen as the most corrupt on earth” #corruption #CPI share this page! »
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Barnabas quotidianus
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A Baha’i at Windsor Castle faiths and environment summit
8 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pmWell, last week was an interesting one. Monday I drove over to Windsor (yes, Windsor where the Castle is) to follow the “Many Heavens, One Earth” celebration of environmental commitments by major faith communities. I had been asked to provide material for the story about the event that appeared on the Baha’i World News Service. Who was there? Christian bishops, Daoist monks, Shinto priests, the Grand Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Ali Gomaa, Muslim imams, Jewish rabbis, Hindu priests and environmentalists, a senior Jesuit, ecological Sikhs, representatives of the Baha’i… -
Faith communities should unite to combat religious persecution
7 Nov 2009 | 1:12 amHuman dignity is indivisible By David Kilgour, Citizen SpecialNovember 6, 2009Be the first to post a comment One dismaying estimate of the number of people who died violently because of their religion between 1900 and 2000 includes 70 million Muslims; 35 million Christians; 11 million Hindus; nine million Jews; four million Buddhists; two million Sikhs and one million Baha’is. What can be done to reduce the persecution of religions globally? A first step is universal recognition that human dignity is ultimately indivisible in today’s shrunken world and all groups must thus stand… -
Climate change debate spurs warm feelings amongst religious leaders
30 Oct 2009 | 2:04 amIt is rare that religion and science find agreement, but that is what happened when Britain’s Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks spoke at a meeting on saving the earth from climate change. “The great Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson published a book in 2007 called “Creation”, subtitled An Appeal to Save Life on Earth,” Sacks told leaders of all the major faiths meeting at Lambeth Palace in London on Thursday. (Photo: A partially dried reservoir in Yingtan, Jiangxi province, China, 29 Oct 2009/stringer) “I thought that was a very good book. E.O. Wilson is known not to be religious, but what… -
US House of Representatives condemns the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran
23 Oct 2009 | 1:56 amOct22 U.S. House of Representatives Passes 11th Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran 04:43 pm on Oct 22nd 2009 OEA Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 407-2, a resolution condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.” H.Res.175 is the eleventh congressional resolution since 1982 to address the religious oppression of the Bahá’ís in Iran. “Given current human rights violations against the Iranian citizens, we… -
Doesn’t God want us to create the “God particle”?
20 Oct 2009 | 2:16 amA gateway to God? A particle God doesn’t want us to discover Could the Large Hadron Collider be sabotaging itself from the future, as some physicists say Jonathan Leake –> Explosions, scientists arrested for alleged terrorism, mysterious breakdowns — recently Cern’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has begun to look like the world’s most ill-fated experiment. Is it really nothing more than bad luck or is there something weirder at work? Such speculation generally belongs to the lunatic fringe, but serious scientists have begun to suggest that the frequency of Cern’s accidents…
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borna's own blog
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charice
19 Nov 2009 | 5:47 pmwow. all I can say is wow. -
moving closer
15 Nov 2009 | 1:24 amlooking through my drafts, here's something I found that I had written long ago but never done anything with. lazy as I am to write up my thoughts, I'll just publish it. When Ketu turned twelve years old he was sent to a master, with whom he studied until he was twenty-four. Upon finishing his training, he came back home filled with pride. His father asked him: “How can we know what we can’t -
moments of epiphany
7 Nov 2009 | 4:23 amI recently read the book Art & Fear, and here's an extract from it: The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they had produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his -
light upon light
11 Oct 2009 | 4:29 amhere's what we did for youth presents a while ago. the theme was light upon light: -
true story
5 Jul 2009 | 6:50 amthis just happened, after some time of silence and work... me: wow, I suddenly feel like an idiot! officemate: any reason in particular? me: no. needless to say, we both laughed quite a lot... :)
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Fewness of Words, Abundance of Deeds
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Faith & Environment seminar hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury
3 Nov 2009 | 10:16 amLast Thursday (29 October 2009) I was at: Lambeth Palace (the London residency of the Archbishop of Canterbury) to represent the UK Baha’i community at a seminar on Faith & the Environment. This seminar, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, was attended by 24 representatives of UK faith communities, 4 from CofE Diocesans, 15 from NGOs, 2 from the government, 5 from the British Council, and 5 from Lambeth Palace. Women clearly in the minority (what did I expect?). The seminar was opened by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a short BBC documentary on climate… -
Ethical dimensions of climate change /de ethische kant van klimaatsverandering
16 Oct 2009 | 11:22 amBlog Action Day 2009 on Climate Change was yesterday. So, yes, I know I’m late. I’m just going to share a few thoughts from the Baha’i International Community (BIC) and the International Environment Forum (IEF) on the ethical dimensions of climate change. In May I attended a workshop organised by the BIC and we were asked to look at several case studies of vulnerable countries such as Fiji, Niger, and Bangladesh. We were asked to identify what we considered to be the ethical issues embedded in the case study. I found the following questions very thought-provoking: Who or… -
Ethical dimensions of climate change /de ethische kant van klimaatsverandering
22 Sep 2009 | 9:59 amThe Baha’i International Community launched its appeal to the world leaders on the moral and ethical implications of climate change. This appeal is supported by 23 other organizations and its launch date coincided with a High Level meeting at the UN in New York. This is the text of the appeal: We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, leaders of the world’s religions, and other members of civil society, urge the governments of the world to participate in the UN High Level Event on Climate Change through… -
International Day of Peace / Internationale Dag van de Vrede
20 Sep 2009 | 12:57 pmWhen a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content. Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness. These wise words are from Abdu’l-Baha in ‘Paris Talks’. He also says: If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger,… -
Update
15 Sep 2009 | 1:48 pmAn update of my activities seems long overdue. So, what’s kept me busy the last few weeks? First of all a very successful (1st ever in England) residential cluster school near Durham over the August Bank holiday weekend. I still need to pull together a final report, but that’ll happen soon. Last week, with a UN nomination deadline looming, I managed to sort out nominations for 4 women to attend different Regional Implementation Meetings (RIMs). These women will get their trips funded by the UN. RIMs are preparation meetings for next year’s 18th session of the Commission on…
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Luminous Realities
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Asking Questions, Seeking Answers & Celebrating Baha'u'llah
11 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pmFormal gardens surrounding Bahji, where Baha'u'llah spent His last years. Also His resting place, the holiest place to Baha'is. [Baha'i Media] "I never dreamed, when I first encountered the Baha'i Faith as a young adult, that one day I would write a book about the Founder, Baha'u'llah, whose birthday Baha'is celebrate around the world November 12. Yet hearkening back to that time of search I clearly recall that my attention was captured by two things: the extraordinary life of Baha'u'llah and the exquisite beauty of His writings. How could someone who lived the better part of His life as a… -
Blog Talk Radio Interview
27 Oct 2009 | 8:42 amA few months ago Francine Silverman, author and creator of the Book Promotion Newsletter – one of my favorites – connected me with Anjuelle Floyd on BlogTalkRadio. Anjuelle is a fiction author (and therapist) on the west coast, who also interviews authors on her radio show Book Talk, Creativity & Family Matters. The great thing about the net is you can listen to these interviews anytime. Listen here to my October 3rd interview with Anjuelle.Let me share a few highlights and generally where they come up in the interview. First let me say that I appreciated Anjuelle’s approach. She… -
The Bab: 'Gate' to an Era of Maturity
19 Oct 2009 | 1:27 pmUpper terraces of the Baha' gardesn and the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israel. [With permission of Baha'i Media, Baha'i International Community] View Slideshow for more on the Shrine of the Bab. View Video of the Bab's role in the early history of the Baha'i Faith. (begins at 5 minutes in) - on new U.S. Baha'i Video LibraryThis evening begins the Birth of the Bab, a Baha'i holy day. The life of the Bab is a compelling story, which you can read in Part One of my bookThe Story of Baha’u’llah: Promised One of All Religions. The excerpt below is from my short essay for the holy… -
Blog Action Day Follow-Up
16 Oct 2009 | 10:08 amIf you missed it, do watch this cool video (2 minutes) for Blog Action Day ‘09 Climate Change – which claims to be the “largest social change event on the web EVER.”Here are the numbers from their wrap-up page. By the end of yesterday Blog Action Day had 27,000 posts on 13,231 blogs from bloggers in 155 countries – with posts from the UK’s Prime Minister, the government of Spain, and The White House blog.In one day over 17 million readers read about climate change. Whether they gained new knowledge, were inspired to take action, or connected via blog with a real-world project, all… -
Blog Action Day | Climate Change: Thinking at a Much Higher Level
15 Oct 2009 | 1:22 pmIn 1860 the first ever aerial image of a city was photographed from a hot-air balloon over Boston and published a few days later in the Boston Herald. Just over a century later, in 1968, Apollo 8 gave us Earthrise, the photo of Earth from the moon that “began to bend human consciousness.”**Even before that first aerial image Baha’u’llah was born in Tehran in 1817; and long before we could begin to wrap our minds around the image of a planet with no political boundaries, Baha'u'llah had called the peoples and nations of the world to the next step in our collective life: to establish…
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Baha'is Online
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Homeless man arrested in Baha'i center fire
13 Nov 2009 | 1:37 pmA homeless man has been charged with setting fires last month that destroyed a Baha'i center on Hillcrest Street, according to the Orlando Fire Department. Terry Hess, 56, was arrested last week after a third fire at the center, said District Chief David Haley of the fire department's Arson and Bomb Squad. Hess previously had been allowed to live in a shed behind the Baha'i center and was paid to do yard work. Hess previously had been allowed to live in a shed behind the Baha'i center and was paid to do yard work. That arrangement ended when he was told he wasn't allowed to drink on the… -
A Synthesis of Science and Religion
9 Nov 2009 | 9:29 amThy will be done, O Universe! Guy Murchie, The Seven Mysteries of Life, pg. 627 In the preface to his Seven Mysteries of Life, Guy Murchie wrote that when he had set out to write the book, he had intended the project to be an exploration of life in its entirety, but somewhere on that seventeen year journey he had discovered something — something philosophical. He reported that he’d discovered fresh insights as to why the world is the way it is, where it is going and what it means … a discovery in philosophy. This is Murchie at his most transparent as a Bahá’í… -
Expanding the Moral Imagination
9 Nov 2009 | 9:04 amAny religion whose prerequisites for individual salvation don’t conduce to the salvation of the whole world is a religion whose time has passed. (Robert Wright (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wright_%28journalist%29): The Evolution of God page 439) I am getting towards the end of Robert Wright’s fascinating book – I’ve been fitting the reading of it into the narrow gaps between other major commitments recently. I’ve just got to the point where he discusses how the expansion of the moral imagination (page 428) can ‘bring us closer to moral… -
Florentine's kings of freestyle
9 Nov 2009 | 6:44 amVisitors to the funky Tel Aviv neighborhoods of Florentine or Nahalat Binyamin, the seaside Tayelet promenade, or those who were present at the opening this past July of the Maccabiah Olympics in Ramat Gan, have all been dazzled by virtuoso funk, reggae and groove singer King Cano Huricane Kwa-Zulu. Together with Tel Aviv-born Nir Yaniv, the duo (http://www.kingandnir.com/) have been performing across the country and at venues as disparate as the Glastonbury Festival in England, Womad in Scotland and the Red Sea Jazz festival in Eilat, creating a unique, genre-breaking freestyle entertainment… -
Rainn Wilson visits UW, gets real with students
9 Nov 2009 | 4:56 amStudents make donations to the Mona Foundation to get their Dwight bobbleheads signed by Rainn Wilson. While many know him only as salesman Dwight Schrute from NBC’s The Office, Rainn Wilson, actor and former UW student, unveiled a bit of his personal side on campus Friday night. In front of an at-capacity crowd in Kane Hall, Wilson touched on a number of topics including his involvement with the Mona Foundation, his Baha’i faith and his social-networking Web site, SoulPancake.com. Wilson was in town for the 10th anniversary of the Mona Foundation, a non-profit organization he is…
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Hadley-Ives family update
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Walden and some thoughts.
26 Oct 2009 | 7:32 pmMany years ago, probably in 1982 or 1983, my mother gave me a copy of "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau. I've been re-reading it again this past week for a class I'm teaching, and I'm finding many of the interesting passages I vaguely remembered, and some ideas that were influential on my development as a young person. Here is a collection of passages I found either interesting, thought-provoking, challenging, or useful:On Luxury...Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-calledcomforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances tothe elevation of… -
Values Survey
21 Sep 2009 | 12:46 pmI have put up a survey on values, and you're welcome to take it online or download it in Microsoft Word format and score it yourself. This is a survey based on responses students in the LIS and LNT programs have given to questions posed in their learning autobiographies and goals statements. I'm not doing any research on this, but I thought I would share this scale as some people might enjoy taking it to see how they score. If you take it online and leave a legitimate e-mail address for the last item, I'll try to e-mail back your score to you if I have time.I've made a report that explains… -
Chinese ideas about what is good.
14 Sep 2009 | 11:04 amI've just finished preparing some overhead slides for a talk I gave on "ideas about what is good in Chinese culture and religion." There are 130 of these slides. On a few of them I might use a slide as a visual aid while I talk for a minute or longer, but for many of these slides I just quickly go through them, spending about 20 seconds on each visual image or idea. So, this represents a talk that might take 45 to 50 minutes. Toward the end I dispense with words and merely go with images to correspond to what I was saying.Anyway, I'll share the work with this link to the presentation. I was… -
Getting a master's degree. The cost.
3 Sep 2009 | 11:42 amThis semester I'm teaching one undergraduate course and one graduate course, and I'm administering an undergraduate program as well. A student was interested in getting into our online graduate program, and he wanted to know the cost, the total cost he would have to pay. I didn't know the answer, and it had been a couple years since I last studied the tuition and fees my university charges my students, so I've taken a close look again at the figures.For an out-of-state student, like someone from California or New York who wants to get an online degree with our department, the cost per course… -
Back to school videos
25 Aug 2009 | 8:11 amAlthough there is still a week left in the summer, we've started classes at the university, and I'm busy with my new classes and new students and some new ideas for promoting our program. I neglected the blog this summer. I guess it was nice to get away from computer screens and keyboards for several weeks.Now that I'm back on the computers, and having been impressed by our summer visits to the Acoma, Navajo, and Hopi Nations, I've been listening to some of my American Indian music, and found that I really like Buffy Sainte-Marie. Here is an old video and a newer one to share her music with…
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Meditations on Baha'u'llah
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But Dodo, you'll live on a street!
7 Nov 2009 | 9:46 pmDear Lord, it's nearly a month since I last wrote. I like to write at least every couple of weeks, but life turned to chaos on me this time. I have a good excuse, though. On October 25, we got word that Steve's father died unexpectedly in his sleep. This was astonishing news, because he was never ill. He was 85 and living a full life. He'd gone to bed at 10pm as he always did, after sending Steve an email about how to shift folders of email messages in his mail reader. And that was it. Steve's mum found him still in bed the following morning, an hour at least past his usual rising time. Steve… -
A mystical look at organic unity
10 Oct 2009 | 2:33 pmThis blog entry gathers together some of my recent thoughts on what organic unity means. I'm not sure where the idea of organic unity comes from. It isn't from Baha'u'llah that I'm aware; from Sen's book on Church and State (the passage on organic unity, pp 249-257), it must be the Guardian. A search on MARS brings up 45 instances of the Guardian using the word 'organic'. I don't want this to be a discussion on the Guardian's use of the term. I'm interested in the concepts from Baha'u'llah that might underpin the concept of organic unity. The passage quoted by Sen, and the one Baha'is would… -
Alison's Oscars
25 Sep 2009 | 6:18 pmThe other day, I was on Wiki looking through lists of people's favourite movies. I found that the lists didn't reflect my taste very well. Steve counselled me not to take any notice because the lists are meaningless. But I thought, damn it, my taste in movies is just as valid as the mainstream. So I decided I would take the plunge and stick up for my movies, for there must be others out there who like the movies I do. I am therefore going to hold my own Oscars and give awards to my favourite movies, just for fun. As for my taste in movies - in general, I guess I watch 'mainstream' arthouse… -
The embodiment of deeds
20 Sep 2009 | 9:39 pmI wrote last time about my new understanding that our deeds, thoughts and words create a spiritual reality and that that reality takes a form in the spiritual world, such as the form of a woman or houri. For me, I like to think of my houri as a garden, because gardens are things that you nurture (or neglect) and, over time, they develop and become fruitful (or wither and languish) and, in this way, are an everlasting source of sustenance. In this way, I now understand Baha'u'llah saying that: "The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all things, and he that… -
Garden of good deeds
11 Sep 2009 | 9:58 pmIn my last entry, Rendering assistance to God, I ended by saying that I'd found a way through my paralysis over the seeming pointlessness of good deeds given God's omnipotence. I had also described in earlier entries the trap in using deeds as snares to manufacture a desired outcome. I languished for months between these two positions until last week when a mixture of questions I'd had for ages all found an answer in one place. It was a great moment! One of those questions I've long been wondering about is what exactly is the houri who appeared to Baha'u'llah and spoke to him? Some years ago,…
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Sen McGlinn's blog
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Defending Shoghi Effendi
21 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pmThere are the only two instances in which Shoghi Effendi uses the word theocracy in connection with the Bahai Faith, and both refer to its internal organisation as a religious community, not to its theories about the organisation of the state. -
Executive and legislative
28 Oct 2009 | 4:02 pmIn Abdu’l-Baha’s usage: "executive" is not a branch of government in the western sense, but rather the executive force in society, it is that which is concerned with “laws, regulations, arts and sciences” that are produced by human effort, as distinct from the inspired Law, which is the domain of religious leaders. -
The mystery of sacrifice
16 Oct 2009 | 2:04 pm"This bit of wisdom may not be from Bahai scripture, but it is no less true for that." -
Instant, exact and complete?
12 Oct 2009 | 2:59 pm"...not everyone finds “instant, exact and complete obedience” an unproblematic ideal." -
Church and State in Scripture
6 Oct 2009 | 5:47 amO ye ... trustees of God! Kings are the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the might and riches, of God. ....He hath invested them with the rulership of the earth
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The Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights
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Powerful Narrated Video of a Letter from a Baha’i Prisoner in Iran
17 Nov 2009 | 2:26 pmA couple of young Baha’is from Los Angeles recently created this video which includes a reading of Haleh Rouhi’s letter from prison. Rouhi was arrested in May 2006 in Shiraz along with other 53 Baha’is and charged with offenses relating to state security. These young people, along with Iranian Muslims, were engaged in a teaching project benefiting underprivileged children in Shiraz. In August 2007 three of the group, Raha Sabet, Haleh Rouhi and Sasan Taqva, were sentenced to four years in prison for “organizing illegal groups” and “propaganda on behalf of groups that… -
Round-up of updates from Iran: Persecution of Baha’is continues unabated
6 Nov 2009 | 3:46 pmReports from human rights organizations and the Baha’i International Community show that over the last month, violations of the rights of Baha’is in Iran unfortunately persisted. Several homes of Baha’is were searched across Iran. On September 27, the house of Sohail Rouhani was searched in Yazd by security forces. They confiscated his computer, cell phone and CDs. On October 17, security forces searched the home of Shahram Azadi in Khorramshahr. They took his identification papers and his mobile phone. In Mahshahr, the house of a Baha’i couple Shokrollah and Sadigheh… -
Denial of education and work opportunities drives a Baha’i family out of Iran
26 Oct 2009 | 2:41 pmThe Observer-Dispatch in Utica, NY carried a story today about a Baha’i family that immigrated to the United States. The family of four lived in Isfahan until five years ago, where the father of the family, Rouhollah Madhi (52), ran a car shop. After the Islamic Revolution he was denied the right to study at a university because of his faith, and therefore opened a business. The mother, Farangis Behinaein (51), was studying to be a nurse when she was asked to sign a document proclaiming that she is a member of one of the recognized religions in Iran. When she refused to lie, she was… -
Twitter map tracking tweets about Baha’i human rights
13 Oct 2009 | 10:01 amTwitter is a great tool for raising awareness about all kinds of human rights violations. To help keep track of the cause we champion here at BahaiRights.org, we’ve created this app that tracks tweets about Baha’i human rights abuses in real time and displays them on a map or as a list. We hope that you would find it useful. Related posts:Contemporary art for Human RightsLatest Video: United for Baha’i Human RightsHuman rights violations against the Baha’is – Iran/2007 -
RFE/RL story about our new animated campaign
8 Oct 2009 | 6:29 amFollowing is a story Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty carried about The Muslim Network For Baha’i Rights: Animation In Support Of Iran’s Baha’is October 08, 2009 A new animated campaign aims to raise awareness about rights abuses against those following the Baha’i faith in Iran. The campaign, run by the Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights, was the brainchild of Esra’a al-Shafei, a 22-year-old woman from Bahrain who won a prestigious award for her Internet projects from Harvard University last year. In an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Farda she said,…
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Iran Press Watch
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The Music and Arrest of a Baha’i Musician
17 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmBehnam Rohani-Fard, a Baha’i Musician and composer who had resided in Tehran for some time traveled to the city of Yazd to participate in the mourning ceremony arranged for one of his family members. In the morning hours of Monday, October 12, Mr. Rohani-Fard was detained by Intelligence agents while driving in his private car; he was taken to an undisclosed location. In repeated follow-ups made by Mr. Rohani-Fard’s wife, she was told that her husband would be released in one week and his detentions was related to his change of residence, as well as chanting religious Baha’i… -
Final court proceedings for nine Mashhad Baha’is
9 Nov 2009 | 8:53 amThe final court session for the sentencing of nine Baha’is in Mashhad took place on 3 Aban 1388 (October 25, 2009). Most of these accused Baha’is were arrested on the 13 and 14 of Mordad 1384 (4th and 5th of August, 2005), and most were released on bail on 5 and 6 of Shahrivar (the 27th and 28th of August) of the same year. Mr. Davar Nabilzadeh, however was released on 6 of Mehr 1384 (September 28th, 2005). Apparently these nine Baha’is were summoned to the court proceedings on the 15th and 16th of August, 2009. Although they were accused of taking part in a campaign against the… -
Expulsion of a Baha’i student from Zanjan University
8 Nov 2009 | 11:09 amMr Mehrdad Darab Najaf-Abadi, who was admitted to the Institute of Higher Professional Education at Khorram Dareh branch (in the province of Zanjan), at the commencement of the 1388-1389 academic year, has been expelled and his tuition returned to him. The Institute of Higher Professional Education is a non-governmental and non-profit organization. Its by-laws and regulations have been approved by the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Committee of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. [Source: Baha’i World News Services in Persian; Translated by Iran Press Watch] -
Barring the reopening of an optician’s shop
7 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amNazar-Abad – Mrs. Zohreh Laghai, the owner of Misagh Optician, whose business was shut down in the month of Day, 1387 (Dec., 2008), along with four other optician’s shops owned by Baha’is in Nazar-Abad (near Karaj), has been barred by the Ministry of Intelligence from re-opening her shop, despite the decision of the Court of Justice for Commerce that had granted her permission to re-open her shop. [Source: Baha’i World News Services in Persian; Translated by Iran Press Watch] -
Subpoenas for five Baha’is
7 Nov 2009 | 6:28 amShiraz – Mr. Afshin Ehsanian, Mr. Fraham (Hadi) Masoumi, and Mrs. Haleh Hushmandi, who were among the 54 youth arrested on 29 Urdibehesht 1387 (19 May 2006) for teaching disadvantaged children, along with Mr. Vahdat Dana and Mr. Keyvan Karami, all of whom are from Shiraz and are free on bail, have been subpoenaed to present themselves to the Court on 18 Aban 1388 (9 Nov. 2009). [Source: Baha’i World News Services in Persian; Translated by Iran Press Watch ]
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Inspiration for Bahá'í Teaching
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Cycles of learning, constant teaching drive evolution of Bahá’í Community
31 Oct 2009 | 3:57 pmExcerpts from a paper by House of Justice member Paul Lample which he adapted in giving his plenary talk given at the 32nd annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies – North America, 29 August to 1 September 2008. A link to the full text is available here. Audio of the talk can be accessed from here. Learning and the Evolution of the Bahá’í Community by Paul Lample With regard to the harmony of science and religion, the Writings of the Central Figures and the commentaries of the Guardian make abundantly clear that the task of humanity, including the Bahá’í… -
House member: Purpose of core activities to raise capacity to serve society, promote community development
30 Sep 2009 | 10:14 am(September 2009) Thanks go to the blessed soul who took and shared these cursory yet enlightening notes from a recent talk by member of the Universal House of Justice Dr. Payman Mohajer. The Purpose of Core Activities . In the course of the consultations, Dr. Mohajer posed a thought-provoking question to the participants, “What is the purpose of our core activities?” Dr Mohajer then went on to share an explanation by giving the example of a glass. He said that while it is not inaccurate to say that the glass is transparent, it is evident that transparency is not… -
Accompaniment key to building confidence for service, teaching
31 Aug 2009 | 10:07 am(US-DC, 27 August) A report (slightly edited) that sets out the path to and delineates the processes involved in establishing the new pattern of community life that the institute courses are seeking to build. Bulls Eye in DC A report from Washington, DC (A-stage cluster): THIS IS WHAT THE FIVE YEAR PLAN IS ALL ABOUT—raising up and empowering human resources. Ms.__ is a new believer who declared her Faith in March of this year during a neighborhood teaching effort. She has completed Book 1 and is in the middle of studying Book 2, Arising to Serve. I have been working with her as… -
Reflections on the RIDVÁN 2009 Message – talk by Dr. Peter Khan
31 Jul 2009 | 2:59 pmExcerpts from a talk byDr. Peter Khan on 3 July 2009 regarding the concept of change in religion and in the Bahá’í Faith, and the importance of wholehearted obedience to the Covenant in this context, with reference to the Ridván 2009 Message(read it here). The whole of the talk is available here. Please note that this transcript may not be entirely accurate. “The solution [to meeting the challenge of change in the Faith] is no more and no less than unreserved acceptance of whatever the central authority of the Cause, in this case the Universal House of Justice decrees. If we… -
Sincerity wins the day: efforts teach reliance upon God
14 Jun 2009 | 3:20 pm(US-Central, 12 June) The following story highlights the truism that “Bahá’í teaching” comprises the rightly directed endeavor of the individual believer within the pale of God’s consummate Grace, and his consequent spiritual progress as a result of the promised confirmations from on High! * * * * * * “It is a bounty to be able to share the Message with those who want to hear it.” All of us have our set of experiences that shape our view of what teaching is… We may not have seen much interest or receptivity from the people we have encountered over…
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Baha'is in Iran - persecutions
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Shiraz: New case of abduction, torture of Baha'i
4 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amThe intensified persecutions in the wake of the Islamic Revolution in Iran (as outlined here) show little sign of abating. Kidnapping and Torture of a Baha'i in Shiraz Posted: 03 Nov 2009 A Baha'i has been kidnapped, persecuted, and tortured by unknown individuals in Shiraz. According to HRANA [Human Rights Activists News Agency], based on reports from the Baha'i Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran, Mr. Rouh'u'llah Rezaie, a 45-year-old Baha'i in Shiraz, was stopped, kidnapped, and moved to an unknown place as he was returning home, to his wife and child, from a gas station… -
Baha'i students still barred from university studies
30 Oct 2009 | 7:43 amThree Baha'i students expelled from Semnan University Posted: 29 Oct 2009 Although they had only attended one week of classes at the university, Ms. Mojdeh Nourani, Ms. Farahnaz Felfeli, and Mr. Aradalan Tebianian, who had passed the national university entrance examination in 1388 (2009), were expelled from Semnan University and deprived of their right to education by order of University Protection authorities. According to HRANA, based on reports from the Higher Education Committee of Human Rights Activists in Iran, these students repeatedly appealed to various levels of authorities,… -
After 17 months, renewed delay in trial against Baha'i leaders
18 Oct 2009 | 12:52 pmFrom Baha'i World News Service. Trial of seven Baha'is delayed, no new date set 18 October 2009 GENEVA — Although the trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran for more than 17 months was scheduled for today, when attorneys and families arrived at the court offices in Tehran they were told it would not take place. No new trial date was given. "The time has come for these seven innocent people to be immediately released on bail," said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "The seven, whose only 'crime' is their religious… -
Stirring defence in Hungarian parliament of Baha'is in Iran
18 Oct 2009 | 11:50 amA remarkably articulate and forceful condemnation of the ongoing human rights violations against the Baha'is of Iran in the Hungarian parliament.(Excerpt:)In their country, in Iran, the Baha'is are not allowed to freely practice their religion and they are exposed to constant persecutions.The religion is not against anyone or anything. The Baha'i Faith is a world religion whose aim is to unite all the people of the earth.Hungarian Parliament condemns persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran from Bahá'í Magyarország on Vimeo.Parliament Palace, Budapest, HungaryPhoto credit: Public domain… -
Ban of Baha’i students from higher education in Iran based on Supreme Council ruling
8 Oct 2009 | 1:41 amBaha'i Students Deprived of Higher Education Posted: 07 Oct 2009 Editor's Note: Upon its founding over 30 years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran adopted a policy of barring Baha'i students from universities and all institutions of higher education. Occasionally, a few Baha'is have been allowed entrance; however, in almost all cases they were identified as being Baha'i during their first or second year of education and were then expelled without any further explanation. Below is a letter written by a group of Baha'i students deprived of higher education with…
