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Personal memories of Rúhíyyih Khánum - An encounter in
Australia
The
only time I met (as opposed to being in an audience when she spoke) Rúhiyyíh
Khánum was when she came unexpectedly and at very short notice to Australia at
the end of 1977. She had been visiting
Japan, had been taken ill, and came to Sydney for treatment and to
recover. I was working in the National
Office at the time and we got this urgent phone call to say she was on her way
and to make arrangements! There was a
lot to do in a very few hours. When she had regained some of her strength, she
met with us several times and had a lot to say - mostly about the temple (I was
a member of the National Assembly at the time and was responsible for the
repairs which were then being made to it).
She was very direct!
She
was very critical of the state of the grounds - many of the friends thought it
should be left as natural bushland, but she was adamant it should be properly
landscaped. Coincidence or not, not
long after her visit a bush fire swept through the whole area, burning out
everything around the temple, but leaving it untouched. We landscaped the
grounds.
But
the thing I want to share is a comment she made to a memorable gathering of the
Sydney friends, a few days before she left to resume her travels. She spoke
about Bahá'í community life, and described an experience she had had somewhere
else in the world. What she said was
recorded and this is it:
"....
as we walked into the Bahá'í Centre, to attend the Feast, one of the Bahá'í
women said (to someone else): 'Oh!
You! It's nice to see you, because
we haven't seen your face for two years!'
"I
don't know, maybe somebody thinks this is pleasing in the sight of God, that
remarks like this would draw forth the praise of Bahá'u'lláh and the approval
of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. But
I can't picture anything more cruel, or tactless, or impolite. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of this
amongst the Bahá'ís.
"I'm
not talking about you. What do I know
about how any of you live? I'm talking
about things I do know about, and that I've seen.
"With
that kind of attitude and those kind of believers, I don't care if you
administer 100 per cent according to Bahá'í administration: if you haven't got
the love and kindness and the warmth, and the forgiveness and the tact, how do
you expect other people to feel happy when they are with you? ... To want to
come to the meetings, or feel you are their family and they are dying to to see
your faces again? ....."
Andrew
Gash
Some significant dates in Bahá'í history - September
September
1867: Bahá'u'lláh, exiled in Adrianople (Edirne, Turkey), began the process of
declaring His mission to the world at large. His Tablet to the Kings and
Rulers, revealed about this time, was described by Shoghi Effendi as His
"most momentous Tablet".
23rd
September 1893: The Bahá'í Faith was mentioned publicly for the first time in
North America, in a presentation at the World Parliament of Religions in
Chicago by a former Christian missionary who had served in Syria.
10th
September 1919: The Hand of the Cause of God Martha Root brought her teaching
efforts to a succession of Latin American countries that had never been visited
by a Bahá'í: Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Panama and Cuba. She was followed
almost exactly eight years later by the "Mother of south America",
Leonora Holsapple (later Armstrong), who made the first recorded Bahá'í
teaching trips to Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Curaçao, Trinidad, the Guianas,
Barbados and other Caribbean Islands.
28th
September 1939: Martha Root passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii, The Guardian
acclaimed her as the "foremost Hand raised by Bahá'u'lláh since
'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing".
16th-17th
September 1961: The House of Worship in Sydney, Australia, was dedicated by the
Hand of the Cause of God 'Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum in private and public
ceremonies.
First
published in "The American Bahá'í"
facts found in the "Some significant dates" section compiled
from "A Basic Bahá'í Chronology".
Martha Root in Bombay, India,
19th October 1937.
The significance of the Six Year Plan
The
year 2000 marks the Golden Jubilee of the Six Year Plan. Philip Hainsworth
tells us in this account of the astonishing offer made by the Guardian in his
last appeal, at the 11th hour - 30th March 1950 - and how the UK community's
reaction to that offer reverberated around the Bahá'í world.
Fewer
than a dozen believers in the British Isles are still alive who can remember
the excitement of receiving the flood of messages from Shoghi Effendi which
poured into these Islands during the four most critical years of 1946 to 1950
which witnessed the end of the Second World War and the response to those
messages which won for this community, according to his staggering message to
Convention, 1950, acclamation from The Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, the Master and the
Concourse on High.
Surely
it is a part of our history which should never be forgotten but be told again
and again to our grandchildren and their grandchildren that they remain aware
of the greatness of this Community and what the Guardian referred to as
"its march on the highroad of its destiny".
Why
was this Plan so important?
It
was a Six Year Teaching Plan adopted by the delegates at the special Centenary
Convention on 23rd May 1944, which asked the Guardian to set the goals. So great
was the excitement at this small Convention meeting in a blacked-out basement
room in the centre of London, that this historic decision was not even recorded
in the Convention resolutions. The
world outside was awaiting news of the impending invasion of Europe by the
Western Allies. Of the nineteen delegates at that Convention only two are still
alive at the time of writing, there were no more than 100 adult believers,
forty of which lived in the London area and all in England, with Assemblies in
London, Manchester, Bournemouth, Bradford and Torquay and the Goals given were
"Nineteen Spiritual Assemblies spread over England, Wales, Scotland,
Northern Ireland and Eire".
In
the first two years two pioneers went out and later returned but in the second two
years the work began in earnest for ten new Assemblies had been formed
including one in the "Pivotal Towns" of Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin
and all the remaining goal areas had been opened.
In
the last two years, known as the "Final Phase", the community,
stretched to its limit, had still to maintain, "at all costs", the new Assemblies and establish yet another
nine new ones.
5th
November, 1948 "... Two brief
years separate them from the hour destined to witness the total triumph of
their first organised, nation-wide collective enterprise. Every minute of this
interval is infinitely precious. The gloom overhanging the entire planet is
deepening ominously every day ..."
For
a deeper understanding of the importance of this most critical phase in the history
of the Faith in the British Isles it is essential to study all these moving,
appealing, exhorting, encouraging messages from Shoghi Effendi to be found
in "Unfolding Destiny",
pp171-252. Perhaps such a study would
give the answers to many of the problems facing this community in these Islands
more than fifty years on.
The
Plan hung in the balance
As
the Plan entered its final year the tasks appeared immense. On 8th July
1949, he cabled, "... as
concluding year. rapidly ebbs away attention all members. already fully aroused
action highly conscious glorious opportunity, unflinchingly determined attain
goal should be unwaveringly focused, energies mustered, all available resources
mobilised one last forward charge enabling them 'ere final hour strikes, seize
laurels victory hanging within their reach... Plead afresh, directing
particular appeal few remaining inactive participants who, through
inexperience, timidity or overburdening circumstances, still hesitate fling
themselves arena wherein struggling community being called upon this fateful
hour display before eyes Bahá'í world its prowess, demonstrate the intrinsic
worth its stewardship Faith Bahá'u'lláh ..."
The
National Teaching Committee, centred in Oxford, was meeting frequently which,
as the Plan drew to a close, became almost daily. Every believer was known to
them and called upon to teach as never before, to travel teach or to pioneer.
Heroic steps were taken, some pioneers moving to new goals once their own area
would allow, one old lady in her mid seventies settled in no fewer than seven
goal towns.
As
if drawn by a magnet believers from other countries came to settle from Canada,
Australia, Holland, Denmark and particularly youth from Iran helped to fan the
flame.
At
the Teaching Conference, 1949, representatives of the whole community, were
overwhelmed with news from the National Teaching Committee that with only
fifteen weeks of the Plan still to run, 32 believers were needed in the eight
Goal Towns plus fifteen in ten of those already won. While it was almost too
much to expect that these would be gained by confirmations of new believers,
the NTC was planning to fill gaps by pioneers.
In
the middle of the Conference a cable from the Guardian was telephoned from
London which galvanised everyone
present -
"Feel
moved address this eleventh hour my last fervent appeal ... seize opportunity arouse entire body followers Faith
Bahá'u'lláh British Isles save fortunes Plan now hanging balance. ... One last
supreme sacrificial sustained effort designed ensure total victory now within reach ..."
Before
the Conference finally closed the NTC was already implementing decisions of the
Conference, consulting on the pioneer offers.
Through
January, February and March, 1950, messages were received from the Guardian and
the National Spiritual Assembly cabled the Guardian on 28th March that 26
gaps remained. Then came his momentous offer:
30th
March 1950 - "... appeal further sacrifice, greater heroism, firmer
resolve, nobler consecration ensure total success Plan now hanging balance.
..." And then came his most astonishing offer: "For my part utmost can do is stretch period Plan to July
ninth date commemoration Martyrdom".
This
so shook the National Teaching Committee that they would have none of it.
"We will get the plan by the due date of 20th April", they told the
National Assembly, and they began to put into operation all their contingency
plans.
The
72nd pioneer of the Plan, an old man in
his 84th year in a nursing home in North Yorkshire moved to live with a Bahá'í
in Norwich saying , "Victory will assuredly attend our efforts if we are
faithful."
On
31st March the National Spiritual Assembly were able to cable: "Confirmations,
pioneers reduced gaps to 14 straining utmost complete Plan by Ridván."
On
10th April they were able to send another cable: "Joyfully transmit
Teaching Committee report arrangements made complete Plan by Ridván earnestly
entreat prayers Bahá'u'lláh seal victory."
The
Guardian replied, 12th April: "Rejoice evidences approaching victory
praying with increasing fervour".
The
National Assembly met on 15th-16th April and sent the following cable,
"Total victory assured loving gratitude bounties beloved Guardian
assistance whole Bahá'í world" and on the 19th April, "... Joyous
Ridván greetings from National Assembly and 24 local assemblies British
Isles".
On
21st April he replied: "Share joy reciprocate noble sentiments.
Heartily congratulate national elected
representatives triumphant community, indefatigable National Teaching
Committee, all subsidiary agencies particularly self-sacrificing pioneers who
so outstandingly contributed signal victory reverberating Bahá'í world."
Our
greatest reward was, however, his cable to Convention when with a voice filled
with emotion, Chairman Hassan Balyuzi read to the rejoicing friends:
"HEART
FLOODED JOY STRIKING EVIDENCE BOUNTIFUL GRACE BAHA'U'LLAH ENABLING VALOROUS DEARLY LOVED BAHA'I
COMMUNITY BRITISH ISLES TRIUMPHANTLY CONCLUDE FIRST HISTORIC PLAN HALF CENTURY
BRITISH BAHA'I HISTORY.
HERALD,
AUTHOR FAITH, CENTRE COVENANT, CONCOURSE ON HIGH ACCLAIM SUPERB COLLECTIVE
ACHIEVEMENT IMMORTALISING OPENING DECADE SECOND BAHA'I CENTURY UNPRECEDENTED
HISTORY FAITH BRITISH ISLES, UNRIVALLED ANNALS ANY BAHA'I COMMUNITY EUROPEAN
CONTINENT.
UNPARALLELED
PERCENTAGE MEMBERS COMMUNITY RESPONDING PIONEER CALL THROUGHOUT BAHA'I WORLD
SINCE TERMINATION APOSTOLIC AGE BAHA'I DISPENSATION.
HISTORIC
PLEDGE BRITISH BAHA'I COMMUNITY NOBLY REDEEMED. TRIBUTE MEMORY MARTYR PROPHET
FAITH WORTHILY PAID. SPIRITUAL POTENTIALITIES PROSECUTE SUBSEQUENT STAGE
UNFOLDING MISSION FULLY ACQUIRED.
TRIUMPHANT
COMMUNITY NOW STANDING THRESHOLD CATCHING FIRST GLIMPSE STILL DIMLY OUTLINED
FUTURE ENTERPRISES OVERSEAS..."
Summer School, Matlock, Bath,
1947. Bahá'í friends still alive today do you recognise them? Do you recognise
any others? Philip Hainsworth, (kneeling front row, right), Hassan Sabri (kneeling
front row, left), Lois Gregory (Lambert), child (kneeling front row, centre),
Bridget Ferraby (Beales) in her father's arms (standing on left), Pauline
Senior, third from Bridget, Bob Cheek, (middle 5th row), Ursula Newman
(Samandari), (2nd left), rear Arnold Von Ogtropp (Holland) (middle, rear).