1984
1 The emergence from
obscurity, which has been so marked a feature of the Cause of God during the
first five years of the Seven Year Plan, has been attended by changes, both
external and internal, affecting the Bahá'í world community. Externally, there
are signs of a crystallization of a public image of the Cause---largely
uninformed, however friendly ---while internally growing maturity and
confidence are indicated by increased administrative ability, a desire for Bahá'í
communities to render service to the larger body of mankind and a deepening
understanding of the relevance of the divine Message to modern problems. Both
these aspects of change must be taken into consideration as we enter the third
and final phase of the Seven Year Plan.
2 The year just closing
has been overshadowed by the continued persecution of the friends in Iran. They
have been forced to disband their administrative structure, they have been
harassed, dispossessed, dismissed from employment, made homeless and their
children are refused education. Some six hundred men, women and children are
now in prison, some denied any contact with their friends and relatives, some
subjected to torture and all under pressure to recant their faith. Their heroic
and exemplary steadfastness has been the mainspring in bringing the Cause out
of obscurity, and it is the consolation of their hearts that their suffering
results in unprecedented advances in teaching and proclaiming the divine
Message to a world so desperately in need of its healing power. For this they
embrace the final service of martyrdom. Our obligation is crystal clear. We
cannot fail them now. Sacrificial action in teaching and promoting the Cause of
God must follow every new instance of publicity arising from their persecution.
Let this be our message to them of love and spiritual union.
3 In the international
sphere, the beloved Hands of the Cause, ever growing in our love and
admiration, have, whenever their health has permitted, continued to uplift and encourage the friends and to promote the unity
and onward march of the army of life. The International Teaching Centre,
operating from its world seat, has provided loving and wise leadership and
direction to the Boards of Counsellors. Its sphere of service has been
immensely extended by the assignment of new responsibilities and by raising the
number of its Counsellor members to seven. The dedicated services of the
Counsellors in all the continents, ably supported by the Auxiliary Board
members, have been invaluable in fostering the spiritual health and integrity
of the world wide community. To develop further this
vital organ of the Administrative Order, it has been decided to establish a
term of five years' service for those appointed to the Auxiliary Boards,
commencing November 26, 1986. The work of the Bahá'í International Community in
relationship with the United Nations has brought increasing appreciation of our
social attitudes and principles, and in some instances---notably the sessions
on human rights---the Bahá'í participation has been spectacular, again
resulting from the heroism of the Persian friends. The Geneva office has been
consolidated and additional staff engaged to deal with its expanding
activities. In spite of severe problems the construction
of the Indian and Samoan Houses of Worship has progressed satisfactorily, and
the latter will be dedicated and opened to public worship between August 30th
and September 3rd 1984, when the Universal House of Justice will be represented
by the Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum.
Immediately following the International Convention last Ridván,
two new National Spiritual Assemblies were formed---in St. Lucia and Dominica.
Two new radio stations will make their inaugural broadcasts this year, namely
Radio Bahá'í of Bolivia, at Caracallo, and WLGI, the
Bahá'í radio station at the Louis Gregory Institute, in the United States.
Bahá'í membership in eleven countries, all in the Third World and nine of them
island communities, have reached or surpassed one per cent of the total
population.
4 During the final months
of the second phase of the Seven Year Plan a generous response has been made by
believers and institutions alike to an appeal which set out the increasing
needs of the International Fund. We are confident that sustained and regular
contributions during the final phase of the Plan will enable its aims and
objectives to be fully accomplished.
5 The entrance of the
Cause onto the world scene is apparent from a number of public statements in
which we have been characterized as "model citizens",
"gentle", "law-abiding", "not guilty of any political
offence or crime"; all excellent but utterly inadequate insofar as the
reality of the Faith and its aims and purposes are concerned. Nevertheless people are willing to hear about the Faith, and
the opportunity must be seized. Persistently greater and greater efforts must
be made to acquaint the leaders of the world, in all departments of life, with
the true nature of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation as the sole
hope for the pacification and unification of the world. Simultaneous with such
a programme must be unabated, vigorous pursuit of the
teaching work, so that we may be seen to be a growing community, while
universal observance by the friends of the Bahá'í laws of personal living will
assert the fulness of, and arouse a desire to share in, the Bahá'í way of life.
By all these means the public image of the Faith will become, gradually but
constantly, nearer to its true character.
6 The upsurge of zeal throughout
the Bahá'í world for exploration of the new dimension of social and economic
development is both heartwarming and uplifting to all our hopes. This energy
within the community, carefully and wisely directed, will undoubtedly bring
about a new era of consolidation and expansion, which in turn will attract
further widespread attention, so that both aspects of change in the Bahá'í
world community will be interactive and mutually propelling.
7 A prime element in the
careful and wise direction needed is the achievement of victory in the Seven
Year Plan, paying great attention to the development and strengthening of Local
Assemblies. Great efforts must be made to encourage them to discharge their primary
duties of meeting regularly, holding the Nineteen Day Feasts and observing Holy
Days, organizing children's classes, encouraging the practice of family
prayers, undertaking extension teaching projects, administering the Bahá'í Fund and constantly encouraging and leading their
communities in all Bahá'í activities. The equality of men and women is not, at
the present time, universally applied. In those areas where traditional
inequality still hampers its progress we must take the
lead in practising this Bahá'í principle. Bahá'í
women and girls must be encouraged to take part in the social, spiritual and administrative activities of their
communities. Bahá'í youth, now rendering exemplary and devoted service in the
forefront of the army of life, must be encouraged, even while equipping
themselves for future service, to devise and execute their own teaching plans
among their contemporaries.
8 Now, as we enter the
final, two year phase of the Seven Year Plan, we
rejoice in the addition of nine new National Spiritual Assemblies; three in
Africa, three in the Americas, two in Asia, one in Europe, bringing the total
number to 143. Five more are to be established in Ridván
1985. They are Ciskei, Mali and Mozambique in Africa and the Cook Islands and
the West Caroline Islands in Australasia. Thus the
Plan will end with a minimum of 148 National Spiritual Assemblies. By that time
plans must be approved for the completion of the arc around the Monument
Gardens on Mount Carmel, including the siting and designs of the three
remaining buildings to be constructed around that arc.
9 There can be no doubt
that the progress of the Cause from this time onward will be characterized by
an ever increasing relationship to the agencies,
activities, institutions and leading individuals of the non-Bahá'í world. We
shall acquire greater stature at the United Nations, become better known in the
deliberations of governments, a familiar figure to the media, a subject of
interest to academics, and inevitably the envy of failing establishments. Our
preparation for and response to this situation must be a continual deepening of
our faith, an unwavering adherence to its principles of abstention from
partisan politics and freedom from prejudices, and above all an increasing
understanding of its fundamental verities and relevance to the modern world.
10 Accompanying this Ridván message are a call for 298 pioneers to settle
in 79 national communities, and specific messages addressed to each of the
present 143 national communities. They are the fruit of intensive study and
consultation by the Universal House of Justice and the International Teaching Centre, and set out the goals to be won and the objectives
to be pursued by each national community so that Ridván
1986 may witness the completion in glorious victory of this highly significant
Plan. It will have run its course through a period of unprecedented world
confusion, bearing witness to the vitality, the irresistible advance and
socially creative power of the Cause of God, standing out in sharp contrast to
the accelerating decline in the fortunes of the generality of mankind.
11 Beloved Friends, the
bounties and protection with which the Blessed Beauty is nurturing and
sheltering the infant organism of His new world order through this violent
period of transition and trial, give ample assurance
of victories to come if we but follow the path of His guidance. He rewards our
humble efforts with effusions of grace which bring not only advancement to the
Cause but assurance and happiness to our hearts, so that we may indeed look
upon our neighbours with bright and shining faces,
confident that from our services now will eventuate that blissful future which
our descendants will inherit, glorifying Bahá'u'lláh,
the Prince of Peace, the Redeemer of Mankind.
With loving
Bahá'í greetings,
The Universal
House of Justice