Todd Lawson and Necati Alkan contributed a chapter titled The Qur'ãin Bahai Writings..

A subsequent message was sent at the conclusion of the conference on 4 January 2026.

The documentary examines how families are reconsidering long-held assumptions about responsibilities, decision-making, and the nature of mutual support. It touches on themes such as the practice of consultation in marriage, the education of girls, and how families are transcending barriers of caste and tradition through a growing recognition of humanity’s essential oneness. [BWNS1844]

The latest government crackdown, which intensified following the Israel-Iran conflict in June 2025, has involved arbitrary arrests, interrogations, unjust convictions, and imprisonments, as well as property confiscations. Between June and November 2025, the BIC documented more than 750 persecutory acts across Iran, three times the number recorded during the same period in 2024. These incidents include over 200 raids on homes and businesses, followed by interrogations, resulting in the detention and arrest of at least 110 Bahá'ís. Revolutionary Courts held hearings for more than 100 individuals and issued new sentences against Bahá'ís, each ranging from two to ten years in prison. At least 45 people were summoned to begin serving their prison sentences during this period. Among those imprisoned are mothers who have been separated from their young children. [BIC News 10 December 2025; BIC News 18 December 2025; Human Rights Watch 10 December 2025]

We are pleased to announce that, after many years of patient negotiation, the city of Haifa has agreed to transfer to the Bahá’í World Centre the ownership of a two-storey Templar house on the lower slopes of Mount Carmel where Bahá’u’lláh Himself once stayed during a visit to the city. The property is to the east of the plaza at the foot of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb and adjacent to land where Bahá’u’lláh’s tent was pitched. The building, which sits on three hundred and sixteen square metres of land, is located in the World Heritage area of the Shrine of the Báb and its surroundings. It was built by a family of German Templars who inscribed the capstone above the front door of the house with the prophetic words “Der Herr ist nahe”, the Lord is nigh. When the Blessed Beauty visited Haifa in the summer of 1891 and suffered a short illness, He stayed for a few days in the house as a guest of the family. Plans are being prepared for the restoration of the building so that, in time, it may be opened to pilgrims and visitors.

See 1891-06-27 for information on Bahá'u'lláh's fourth visit to Haifa.

“Since the establishment in 2005 of the International Board of Trustees, assuming the responsibilities of the Chief Trustee, the institution of the trusteeship of Ḥuqúqu’lláh has evolved rapidly. Notably, the membership of the International Board of Trustees has increased from three to seven; its term of service—as well as that of the members of the National and Regional Boards—has been extended from three to five years; and with the able support of the Office of Ḥuqúqu’lláh in the Holy Land, the International Board oversees the work of a worldwide network of National and Regional Boards, Deputy Trustees, and Representatives. Given these developments, and since there is no longer a Chief Trustee, members of the National and Regional Boards, previously referred to as Deputy Trustees, will henceforth be known simply as Trustees.”

For AFRICA (20 Counsellors): Izzat Abumba Mionda, Mariama Ousmane Djaouga, Alain Pierre Djoulde, Augustino Ibrahim, Mati Issoufou, Hamed Javaheri, Musonda Kapusa-Linsel (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Linet Nafula Kisaka, Townshend Lihanda, Makoena Martha Masha, Judicaël Mokolé, Amélia Mujinga Ngandu, Nsika Mutasa, Justave Ndjibu Kapenga, Mélanie Ngalula Muambangu, Michael Okiria, Nana Yaw Otu-Ansah, Nancy Oloro Robarts, Djamila Tchakréo, Annie Yohari Kingombe

For THE AMERICAS (21 Counsellors): Vafa William Akhtar-Khavari, José Luis Almeida, Sonya Appadoo, Ayafor Temengye Ayafor, Louis Boddy, Natasha Bruss, Brígida Carrillo, Ingrid Umpierre Conter, Blas Cruz Martínez, Daniel Duhart, Farah Guchani-Rosenberg, Badi Hernandez, Nazanin Ho, Irene Iturburo, Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz, Borna Noureddin (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Wedzer Saintea, Pejman Samoori, Bernardino Sánchez, William Silva, Margarita Valdez Martínez

For ASIA (27 Counsellors): Yam Prasad Acharya, Vafa David Amirkia, Bhavna Anbarasan, Walid Ayyash, Marijini Deraoh, Gulnara Eyvazova, Shareen Farhad, Rahul Kumar, Nicholas Loh, Parimal Mahato, Tarrant Matthew Mahony, Uttam Mitra, Fares Naimi, Melonna Jane Montalban Njang, Rasha Oflazoğlu, Thi Thuc Quynh Ho, Zafar Rahimov, Foad Reyhani (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Hesham Saad, Niroshini Saleh, Omid Seioshanseian, Oxana Shulga, Dregpal Singh, Sadhu Ram Tamang, Fang Jung Tseng Chung, Lyazzat Yangaliyeva, Ozoda Zoidova

For AUSTRALASIA (10 Counsellors): Bob Ale, Latai ‘Atoa, Bererin Barnabas, Julie Joekari, Kirk Johnson, Taraz Nadarajah, Daniel Pierce Olam, Vahid Saberi (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Jeffrey Sabour, Reena Torabi

For EUROPE (12 Counsellors): Faina Berger, Marina Bruckmann, Raffaella Capozzi Gubinelli, Orlando Ravelo Hernández, Varqá Khadem (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Ana-Maria Marian, Puria Mahally, Veronika Medvedeva, Hedyeh Nadafi-Stoffel, Navid Sabet, Alexis Semple, Shirin Youssefian Maanian

The following believers, now being relieved of the duties of membership on the Boards of Counsellors, have earned our abiding gratitude for their sacrificial contributions to the progress of the Cause: Jamil Aliyev, Ritia Kamauti Bakineti, Beatriz Carmona, Nadera Fikri, Kam Mui Fok Sayers, Agatha Sarinoda Gaisie-Nketsiah, Sonlla Heern, Nwandi Ngozi Lawson, Ada Micheline Leonce Ferdinand, Sabà Mazza, Jalal Rodney Mills, Maina Mkandawire, Myint Zaw Oo, Yevgeniya Poluektova, Arthur Powell, Sokuntheary Reth, Artin Rezaie, Mehdi Rezvan, Kessia Ruh, Tessa Scrine, Zebinisso Soliyeva, Ircham Sujadmiko, Jacques Tshibuabua Kabuya, Paul Verheij. [UK BAhá'í News 15 October 2025]

This book explores the role of millennialism, the Millerites, and prophecy in the historical development of the Bahá’í faith, especially in North America. The author demonstrates the importance of the Bahá’í religion to millennialism studies and its connection to certain Protestant American and Shia Islamic modes of thought. Bahá’ís see two millennial visions on far-separated continents, within different religious milieux, and from contrasting social climates, as spiritually and prophetically linked: the Millerites who expected the return of Christ in 1844 CE and Shia Muslims who expected the Mahdí/Qá’im/Twelfth Imam in 1260 AH/1844 CE. The chapters in this volume reflect on theories about millennialist movements, the continuum from catastrophic to progressive millennialism, Bahá’í interpretations of biblical prophecy, and Bahá’í efforts to build the “Kingdom of God on earth” under a systematic divine plan. The book highlights the maturation of the Bahá’í community toward a focus on process and a capacity to deal with both catastrophe and progress. It provides scholars of religion with a detailed study of the trajectory in Bahá’í millennial ideas.

The publication offers hopeful and practical examples, drawing on the efforts of Baha’i communities in over 100,000 localities worldwide, showcasing how collaborative efforts with friends, co-workers, and government officials can foster societies that embody the principle of gender equality.

The publication, which will be published in hardcopy in the near future, covers the original 12 “critical areas of concern” outlined in the Beijing Declaration and introduces two additional significant themes: the role of men and boys in the advancement of women, and the intersections between faith and feminism. [BIC News 17 Sep 25; BIC News 2 Sep 25]

The six Bahá'í women were first arrested in November 2023, held in solitary confinement for 31 days, which runs counter to international law, and forced to endure prolonged interrogations without access to lawyers or their families. Guilty verdicts and sentences were handed down in April 2024—after which the women appealed the verdicts. The six women are Zarrindokht Ahadzadeh, Farideh Ayyoubi, Noura Ayyoubi, Neda Mohebbi, Jaleh Rezaie, and Atefeh Zahedi. Two of the women, Atefeh and Neda, have children from as young as five years old. [BIC News]

Qatar has a long-standing record of discriminating against Bahá’ís, including by deportation, delaying the community’s attempts to reestablish an existing Bahá’í cemetery, and refusing to register marriage certificates issued by elected Bahá’í institutions in Qatar. [Human Rights Watch 15 Aug]

Qatar’s deputy attorney general appealed the sentence on September 7 seeking a longer prison term, the appeal document reviewed by Human Rights Watch revealed. An appeal hearing was held on September 10, with the decision expected on September 17. Court documents show the prosecution lists two grounds for the appeal. The first alleges the court erred in law by linking the offenses with which he was charged, thus treating them as one crime. The prosecutor is asking for Rowhani to be given the maximum sentence for each of three offenses. The prosecution also claims that the offenses constituted an “infringement upon the authority of the State.” The prosecutor requested a “deterrent penalty,” stating that the aim is not only to deter the individual from reoffending, but also the rest of society. Qatari authorities convicted Rowhani despite United Nations experts’ warnings of what they described in July as “a broader and disturbing pattern of disparate treatment of the Bahá’í minority in Qatar.” Qatari authorities have discriminated against members of the Bahá’í faith based solely on their religious identity through deportations and blacklisting. This has resulted in the separation of families and loss of employment and income, delaying the community’s attempts to re-establish an existing Bahá’í cemetery, and rejecting marriage certificates issued by elected Bahá’í institutions in Qatar. Qatar deported as many as 14 members of the group over more than 20 years for no apparent reason other than belonging to the Bahá’í faith. [Human Rights Watch 16 September]

On the 1st of October the Bahá'í International Community announced that Mr Rohani had been acquitted of the charges against him and release. [BIC News; Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties]

The Department of the Secretariat of the Universal House of Justice shared the following about this publication:

“Designed to serve as a resource that will support and reinforce the process of growth that is currently under way in neighbourhoods, clusters, and villages worldwide, this collection will vastly increase access to the Sacred Writings for many of those whose initial encounter with the Creative Word has been through participation in the courses of the training institute. Among the passages included in the volume will be found many excerpts that are quoted in the materials of the training institute, here frequently set within the original sources from which the quotations were drawn, along with a number of newly translated excerpts which are published here in English for the first time. The book gathers together in a single volume a comprehensive collection of selections representing the range of the Bahá’í teachings.” [from a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada to all Assemblies, Groups and Regional Councils dated 8 July 2025]

In addition to the website, the News Service is also available on a mobile application Android and  iOS, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and YouTube, as well as through an email subscription.

In both Tehran and Shiraz, the named and sanctioned judges have convicted large numbers of Bahá’ís with harsh prison sentences solely for their beliefs. Trials were conducted without due process and in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing, relying on spurious charges aimed at oppressing and extinguishing religious identity.

​The decision also highlighted the role of prison authorities in the persecution of Bahá’ís. Not only are Bahá’ís unjustly detained, they are also subjected to harsh prison conditions, poor levels of sanitation and are frequently denied proper medical care. In addition, there are numerous cases where Bahá’í women have been arbitrarily imprisoned and separated from their infants and young children. [Iran Press Watch; BIC News 16 April 2025]

In December 2024, after years of medical neglect and harsh prison conditions, she underwent open-heart surgery. Despite her deteriorating health, she now faces the harrowing prospect of being forced back into prison to serve the remainder of her unjust 10-year sentence. Since then, her condition has significantly worsened, with multiple medical reports warning that continued imprisonment could cause irreversible harm. [BIC News release]

See the News Release for further details on Ms Sabet.

This follows on the heels of a statement released on the 29th of January during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council, in Geneva, at which Egyptian authorities were held accountable for the systematic abuse of the rights of religious and other minorities in Egypt, which includes the Egyptian Bahá’í community. .

The Bahá'í International Community released a statement titled In full partnership: Women’s advancement as a prerequisite for peaceful societies, emphasizing that true equality requires a transformation that goes beyond policy reforms to address the spiritual and cultural roots of inequality.

Liliane Nkunzimana, a BIC representative from the New York Office, noted: The 12 critical areas of concern articulated in Beijing were an important evolution in equality of women and men. However, many of these advances have been eroded by policy rollbacks and other forces, from the grassroots through to the international stage. This is a disturbing regression. And it should prompt us to identify more enduring approaches to transformation.” [BWNS1783; BWNS1719; Insights from the Field: Podcast explores advances in gender equality in India]

The pdf of the statement can be download here.

The resolution explicitly acknowledged that the Iranian people had rejected all forms of dictatorship, including both the ruling theocracy and the monarchical regime, and have demonstrated their will for fundamental change through nationwide protests, particularly in 2018, 2019, and 2022. It recognized the role of Iran’s Resistance Units in mobilizing protests inside the country against the regime’s oppression.

The resolution highlighted the Ten-Point Plan proposed by Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), as a viable and democratic alternative to the current regime. This plan called for a democratic republic based on universal suffrage, free elections, gender equality, separation of religion and state, a nonnuclear Iran, and peaceful coexistence with other nations. The resolution noted that this plan has gained support from over 4,000 parliamentarians worldwide, including 243 bipartisan U.S. House members, majorities in 33 legislative assemblies, 130 former world leaders, and 80 Nobel laureates.

It also raised concerns over Tehran’s transnational repression, particularly the regime’s threats against Iranian dissidents abroad. The resolution called on the U.S. government to work with Albania to ensure the full protection of Iranian refugees in Ashraf 3, many of whom are former political prisoners and survivors of regime massacres. [National Council of Resistance of Iran website]

The text of the Resolution can be read here.

The incident came just two days before Iran’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, where the country’s systematic persecution of the Bahá'ís is expected to be scrutinized. [BIC News 22 January 2025]

The Bahá'í International Community as well as human rights organizations and activists have urged Iranian authorities to release Sabet unconditionally. Activists worldwide have rallied around her case, organizing a social media campaign under the hashtag #FreeMahvash.

Her most recent arrest was on July 31, 2022, and she was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison by a preliminary court on charges of leading an “illegal group with the intention of disrupting national security.” This follows a previous decade-long sentence she served from 2008 to 2017 for her involvement in the administrative body of the Bahá'í community in Iran, the Yuran. [Agency France Press 2Jan25; Iran Press Watch 10Jan25]

Qatari authorities also issued a deportation order in January 2025 for a Bahá'í individual, without justification, an informed source told Human Rights Watch. He was born and raised in Qatar to Iranian parents and had lived there for 52 years during which he founded a company, got married, and had his daughter. He was also a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís in Qatar, the source said.

He was summoned to the Immigration Department on January 8, where a police officer informed him that he was to be deported for “disrupting public order” and that he had one week to leave Qatar, the source said. The officer in charge cited “immense pressure from above” to deport this person in particular, the source told Human Rights Watch. The Interior Ministry’s communication with the individual about the deportation was entirely verbal, the source said.

The individual continued to request weekly extensions until late February, when an influential Qatari friend intervened on his behalf, and he was given until March 26 to leave the country. His written request to the Ministry of Interior to reconsider the deportation order received no response. He left Qatar on March 22 and was told by officials that he is blacklisted, barring him from reentry.

This follows a series of deportations and blacklisting of Bahá'ís by Qatari authorities for over 20 years, as documented by the United Nations special rapporteurs on minority issues and freedom of religion or belief. According to their 2019 report, Qatari authorities’ discriminatory treatment against Bahá'ís has resulted in the separation of families and the loss of employment and income. [Human Right Watch 25 May 2025].

In 2024, our work focused on understanding how individuals and communities across the world can meaningfully participate to address the challenges of our time. What does participation truly mean? And how can we redefine it to meet today’s needs?
This work led us to many discussions on a range of essential topics, from the role of youth in shaping society, to building sustainable and equitable food systems, the role cities or towns play in bringing diverse populations together, overcoming racism and prejudice, reimagining global governance systems, and upholding the human rights of Baha’is in Iran, Egypt, Qatar and Yemen.

To illustrate:
-Sexist and misogynistic terms saw an 11 per cent increase compared to the previous month, reaching 410,000 instances across social media platforms.
-Monarchist-affiliated hashtags also featured prominently in this content.
-Nearly 3,000 anti-Christian posts were published in Persian cyberspace in December, reflecting a 50 percent increase from the prior month. The most notable spike occurred during Christmas celebrations.
-Anti-Semitic rhetoric persisted as well, with over 23,000 posts targeting Jews in December. These narratives often echoed broader government-backed themes of international conspiracy.
-Zoroastrians were also targeted, with 2,300 posts monitored,
-The Sunni Muslim community was targeted with some 3,200 posts.
-Hate speech against Bahá'ís remained ingrained in Iranian state media and social media, with at least 2,500 posts monitored in December. Reports from Mehr News and Mashregh were two examples of anti-Bahá'í propaganda. One Mehr report celebrated the actions of a cleric, Mahdi Shahverdi, who reportedly travels across the country to counter “covert activities” by Bahá'ís. Another story in Mashregh attempted to link the Bahá'ís in Iran with a recent YouTube concert given by Pasatoo Ahmadi, in which the female singer appeared unveiled. [IranWire 10Jan25]

In April 2021, a Qatari court framed Mr. Rowhani in a prejudicial case judged in absentia. The ruling was confirmed in May 2022 by an appeals court. In response to international concern, Qatari officials had given assurances that Mr. Rowhani’s one-month prison sentence and $13,700 fine would not be enforced, and he had been assured just week prior that he was free to travel. These actions marked an arbitrary escalation after decades of discrimination against the Bahá'ís in Qatar merely on account of their religion.

For over eight years, Mr. Rowhani has served as chairperson of the National Assembly of the Baha’is of Qatar, a pastoral voluntary role addressing the spiritual and administrative needs of the Baha’i religious community—which has existed in Qatar for over 80 years. His detention is emblematic of the broader pattern of discrimination faced by Baha’i community members in Qatar. [BIC Post on X; BIC News 30 December 2024; BIC News 17 June2025]

See the interview with his daughter, Nora Rowhani, on YouTube.

In 2018, a few months after Nasrin was imprisoned for her legal work representing women who protested Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, Reza and fellow activist Farhad Meysami were arrested for making thousands of buttons that said in Farsi, “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab.” Reza was charged with “spreading propaganda against the system” and “colluding to commit crimes against national security,” for speaking out about Nasrin’s arrest, and for challenging the country’s compulsory hijab law. He was released on bail after 111 days while Nasrin remained in prison until she received a medical furlough in July 2021. Farhad was released in February 2023. [Iran Wire 13 Dec 2024]

For an obituary see Arbor Memorial.

Also see SaskToday and Creative kids as well as his interview with Terry Hoknes.

Keith made a short biographical video that can be seen on YouTube.

Some of Keith's music can be found on ReverbNation and on YouTube.

Keith and two of his daughters, Natania and Tahirih, performed at the Toronto Regional Bahá'í Conference.

Ala’i was eminently qualified for the task. She is a human rights expert with more than 35 years of experience across the UN system and human rights mechanisms. She served as representative of the Bahá'í International Community to the UN in Geneva for 30 years, retiring in 2022, and was nominated as chair by the non-governmental Minority Rights Group. Her candidacy was also supported by several governments, including Austria, France, Switzerland, and at later stages of the selection process by Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. [IranWire 29Jan2024]

Roya Boroumand, a prominent Iranian human rights activist and the Executive Director of Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran commented saying, “It is simply unacceptable that one of the worst human rights abusers in the world is allowed to decide who the UN Human Rights Council, a body mandated to fight against discrimination and intolerance, can nominate.” Boroumand added that Iran’s government chose to persecute minorities such as Bahá'ís “rather than addressing the root causes of Iranians turning away from Islam.” [Post on X; Post on X]

The expansion of the plaza was inspired by drawings prepared by William Sutherland Maxwell—Hand of the Cause and distinguished Canadian architect—who designed the Shrine’s superstructure in the early 1940s. The building’s harmonious blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles has made it a familiar and well-loved landmark. [BWNS1764]

See some "before" images.

In its letter of 26 July 2024 it was stated that "the opportunity will be taken to carry out some preparatory work inside the Shrine so that, in due course, all rooms can be dedicated to prayer and worship as part of the single Shrine of the Báb."

1. Allocate land for Bahá'í burial in various regions of Egypt.
2. Appoint a government liaison for Egypt’s Baha'i community to address their concerns.
3. Establish an official entity to oversee marriage, divorce, and inheritance matters for individuals whose national ID cards show generic religious identifiers.
4. Uphold the right of Bahá'ís to freely practice their faith.
5. Remove the names of Bahá'í individuals from airport arrivals watch lists, whether Egyptian or foreign nationals. [BIC-News 19Nov24]

The new report was prepared by the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, in partnership with Eleos Justice at Monash University, a think tank created and directed by Mai Sato, the new UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran. The report focuses on violence perpetrated against the Bahá'í community since the Baha’i Faith emerged in 1844, by documenting three forms of violence as described by sociologist Johan Galtung; direct, structural and cultural, showing them to be part of the Iranian government’s systematic effort to eliminate the Bahá'í religious minority from society.

One major finding of the report, however, is that the Iranian population has increasingly “resisted” the policy of discrimination against the Bahá'í community. There appears to have been a shift in public attitudes toward Bahá'ís from contempt and avoidance around the time of the Revolution to increasing indifference, acceptance and even support of the Bahá'í community. [BIC News 11NOV24]

In September 2021, the Secretary-General responded with his report, Our Common Agenda, a wake-up call to speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and propel the commitments contained in the UN75 Declaration. In some cases, the proposals addressed gaps that had emerged since 2015, requiring new intergovernmental agreements. The report, therefore, called for a Summit of the Future to forge a new global consensus on readying for a future that is rife with risks but also opportunities. The General Assembly welcomed the submission of the "rich and substantive" report and agreed to hold the Summit on 22-23 September 2024, preceded by a ministerial meeting in 2023. An action-oriented Pact for the Future is expected to be agreed by Member States through intergovernmental negotiations on issues they decide to take forward. [Road to the Summit of the Future]

Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts were pop-rock troubadours in the ‘70s famous for songs such as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” “We May Never Pass This Way (Again),” and “Get Closer.” Their deep connection to the Baha’i Faith made them the only American musicians who caused thousands to join an organized religion, and their lyrics frequently explored mystical concepts. Their exquisite vocal blend and their guitar and mandolin counterpoint generated a huge following and the respect of peer musicians, as they went from small town roots in Texas to filling stadiums in their heyday. Seals & Crofts had an extended family of musicians who contributed road stories, songwriting insight and personal reflections over decades of struggles, setbacks and ultimately the breakthrough success of “Summer Breeze.” Jimmy and Dash were polar opposites but their shared values and unlikely mesh of talents forged a unique sound, aided by their legendary Wrecking Crew producer, Louie Shelton. Seals & Crofts: Chronicles of a Summer Breeze is not a typical expose’ of sex, drugs, or even hard core rock and roll. It is a story of two musicians who shared a lifetime of another sort of adventures. The book details their incredible happenstance to join a Top 40 instrumental band as teenagers, years of paying dues, finding their calling, surviving the controversy of a politically charged hit single, trying their hand at disco, and fading into the background of an 80’s music scene, only to re-emerge as vanguards of the Baha’i Faith. This is their story.

The Bahá'í International Community release a statement titled Embracing Interdependence: Foundations for a World in Transition, which highlighte the imperative for the international community to place humanity’s interdependence at the heart of the systems of global governance.