"Bosch has for several decades served as a vital center of learning and inspiration," the letter continued. "We have no doubt that, once the present difficulties are overcome, it will once again become a place radiating the light of the unifying teachings of our Faith and a source of spiritual power for the entire region." [US Bahá'í News}

Although a number of Iranian Bahá'ís were still held back by Iran's refusal to recognize the institution, BIHE graduates would go on to study at a choice of 98 different international universities and colleges. [Borgen Magazine 14 November 2021]

Yemen was reliant on import for 90% of its food. The situation was exacerbated by the global COVID-19 turndown which led to a sharp drop in remittances – the largest source of foreign currency and a lifeline for many families where 80 per cent of people live below the poverty line. As a result, millions more people could not afford to meet their basic needs. A fuel crisis in the north led to fuel shortages and price hikes. Government capacity to regularly pay salaries and pensions to public employees has been hindered and public services have been degraded. Between April and August 2020, heavy rains and flooding devastated communities, causing deaths and injuries, destroying infrastructure and livelihoods, and increasing the spread of deadly diseases. Tens of thousands of families were affected, many of them already displaced. Other natural hazards posed a threat, including desert locust infestations. The impact of the drivers of the crisis is most visible in the growing risk of famine and severe acute malnutrition, disease outbreaks, conflict casualties, forced displacement and reversal of past development gains. In addition, the conduct of the parties to the conflict had had a profound impact on the aid operation – particularly humanitarian access, aid delivery and data collection. [OCHA Report]

In July it was reported that a large part of the population had been affected by heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding. Covid-19 continued to ravage the population. (No sports were available form the north of the country where the pandemic was not recognized. 11.3 million children were in need of humanitarian assistance and 20.7 million people were in need. [Reliefweb]

The film is available on YouTube and at glimpses.bic.org.

For the response to this film see BIC News.

Part 1: Baha'u'llah's arrival in the Holy Land [BWNS 1281]

Part 2: Out of exile, a light to the world [BWNS 1282]

Part 3: Out of exile, a light to the world [BWNS1284]

The organization "Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order" – an agency controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which held and sold assets seized from proscribed groups and individuals and has done so since the 1979 Islamic Revolution – advertised the 13 properties on an auction website in mid-October. Each property had been listed for sale at a price just 15 percent of market value. The auctions listings have been published despite Bahá'ís having held the deeds to these properties for generations. [Iran Wire 6DEC21]

Subsequently one man and three women were released in June and two men in July. [Amnesty International 8 August 2023]

"…we have decided to set up the World Centre Endowment Fund, for the preservation, upkeep, and security of the edifices and precincts of the Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith — activities that currently form so large a part of the responsibilities of the Bahá'í International Fund. This decision follows the example of Shoghi Effendi, who during his ministry dedicated the income from lands in the environs of the Jordan Valley for the upkeep of the Holy Shrines." • The Universal House of Justice, 2001 Nov 12, International Endowment Fund

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]

"'Abdu'l-Baha had expressed His wish regarding where He should be buried," explains Mr. Amanat, a distinguished Iranian-Canadian architect. "He had said to an early believer that if something should happen to Him and He should pass away, 'Abdu'l-Baha wanted to be buried under the sands between Haifa and Akka, which He described as the pathway trodden by the loved ones and the pilgrims." [BWNS1353; Partial Inventory ABU0463]

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

The International Archives Building was reopened for visits by pilgrims after a three-year programme for its restoration and improvement. The exterior stonework was repaired. The foundations of the building have been waterproofed, and the entire structure made earthquake resistant through incorporation within it of a reinforced concrete and steel frame, not visible to visitors, extending from the foundations to the roof level.

Interior improvements included installation of an attractive granite floor at the main level; use of high-quality display cabinets similar to the original cabinets, designed to ensure preservation of the objects on display far into the future; development of basement facilities for receiving pilgrims; provision of means for persons with a physical disability to have access to the building; and installation of complete environmental, safety, and security systems.

Progress was made with the restoration of the edifice of the Shrine of the Báb. A comprehensive programme for the structural reinforcement of the original building and the superstructure for earthquake resistance was nearing completion. Restoration and repair work to the exterior stonework and the ornamental metal balustrades was ongoing. Work was advancing on the preparation for use by pilgrims and other visitors of the three rooms on the southern side of the Shrine, and arrangements were being made for restoration of the dome and replacement of its golden tiles to recover the original lustre. Installation of a new electrical and environmental control system was in progress.

In the Akka work was continuing in both the Riḍván Garden and the newly acquired land surrounding the resting-place of Bahá'u'lláh, the Qiblih of the Bahá'í world. [15 December 2009]

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.

AFRICA (20 Counsellors): Mélanie Bangala, Mariama Ousmane Djaouga, Alain Pierre Djoulde, Agatha Sarinoda Gaisie-Nketsiah, Augustino Ibrahim, Mati Issoufou, Hamed Javaheri, Jacques Tshibuabua Kabuya, Musonda Kapusa-Linsel (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Linnet Sifuna Kisaka, Townshend Lihanda, Izzat Abumba Mionda, Maina Mkandawire, Judicaël Mokolé, Amélia Mujinga Ngandu, Nsika Mutasa, Michael Okiria, Nancy Oloro Robarts, Djamila Tchakréo, Jean- Pierre Tshibangu

THE AMERICAS (21 Counsellors): José Luis Almeida, Ayafor Temengye Ayafor, Louis Boddy, Natasha Bruss, Beatriz Carmona, Brígida Carrillo, Ingrid Umpierre Conter, Blas Cruz Martínez, Daniel Duhart, Farah Guchani-Rosenberg, Sonlla Heern, Badí Hernández, Irene Iturburo, Nwandi Ngozi Lawson, Ada Micheline Leonce Ferdinand, Borna Noureddin (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Arthur Powell, Pejman Samoori, Bernardino Sánchez, William Silva, Margarita Valdez Martínez

ASIA (27 Counsellors): Yam Prasad Acharya, Jamil Aliyev, Bhavna Anbarasan, Walid Ayyash, Marjini Deraoh, Gulnara Eyvazova, Shareen Farhad, Nadera Fikri, Kam Mui Fok Sayers, Rahul Kumar, Nicholas Loh, Parimal Mahato, Tarrant Matthew Mahony, Uttam Mitra, Myint Zaw Oo, Faris Naimi, Sokuntheary Reth, Foad Reyhani (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Artin Rezaie, Hesham Saad, Niroshani Saleh, Omid Seioshanseian, Dregpal Singh, Zebinisso Soliyeva, Ircham Sujadmiko, Fang Jung Tseng Chung, Ozoda Zoidova

AUSTRALASIA (10 Counsellors): Bob Ale, Latai 'Atoa, Ritia Kamauti Bakineti, Kirk Johnson, Jalal Rodney Mills, Taraz Nadarajah, Daniel Pierce, Kessia Ruh, Vahid Saberi, Tessa Scrine (Trustee of the Continental Fund) To the Bahá'ís of the World 2 29 October 2020

EUROPE (12 Counsellors): Raffaella Capozzi Gubinelli, Aistė Elijio, Orlando Ravelo Hernández, Varqá Khadem, Shirin Youssefian Maanian, Sabà Mazza, Veranika Medvedeva, Hedyeh Nadafi-Stoffel, Yevgeniya Poluektova, Mehdi Rezvan, Amir Saberin (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Paul Verheij

The Universal House of Justice paid tribute to those retiring members:
Vugar Alizadeh, Naisan Azimi, Ronny Brenes, Olga Daradur, Jabbar Eidelkhani, Clément Thyrrell Feizouré, Shirin Fozdar-Foroudi, Zoraida García Garro, Bernard Lo Cascio, Lee Lee Loh Ludher, Sehla Masunda, Nibras Sarmad Moqbel, Aggrey Zeyazi Munubi, Delafruz Nassimova, Ahmad Parsa, U'ileiuluwehi Pimental, Iharinirina Rakotomavo, Carmen Elisa de Sadeghian, Rajan Sawant, Mark Sisson, Christopher Kiprotich Songok, Raúl Taboada, Henry Tamashiro, Shabnam Tashakour

The letter starts with the statement, "Your country is blessed with remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity." (para 2). Indeed, there are about 250 ethnic groups in the DRC and 240 identified languages, four of which have been chosen as official regional languages with French being the common language of Instruction, business, national administration and external relations. More than half the population live in a rural setting and just less than half of the population is under the age of 15 years. [Britannica]

More information about the Faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be found in Bahaipedia and Bahá'í Media.

  More specifically the USCIRF released Iran Policy Brief: Increased Persecution of Iran's Bahá'í Community in 2019 (PDF). Referring to the continuing violations of religious freedom by the clergy-dominated Islamic Republic government, the report urged the U.S. government to impose sanctions on government institutions and officials responsible for violating religious freedoms in Iran, to freeze their assets and to ban them from entering the United States.

The Special Rapporteur's letter also discussed the restrictions on the construction of a Bahá'í cemetery on land that was granted by the Municipality of Doha. This cemetery has been an ongoing issue since 2009, when authorities broke into the cemetery, exhumed the remains, and relocated them on the instructions of the Doha Municipality. This caused many families emotional stress and has led to the inability to identify some remains. Later that year, the Minister of the Municipality did eventually apologize and stated that new land would be allocated. In 2010 and 2015 new locations were identified and budgets were allocated, however despite regular follow up from the Bahá'í community, there has been no construction and no progress made.

Additionally, the Allegation Letter addressed the difficulties the Bahá'í community faces in upholding their personal legal status. Qatari authorities do not recognize Bahá'í documents like marriage licenses, divorces, or inheritance papers unless they have been attested to or obtained abroad. This requires extensive and expensive travel that delays and complicates legal obligations. An attempt has been made by the Bahá'í community to have the Ministry of Justice accept and authenticate Bahá'í documents, however the Minister has not decided on the matter.

The government of Qatar did not respond to the Special Rapporteur's letter. [ Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain website]

The Resolution formally acknowledged the changing nature of warfare, in which civilians are increasingly targeted, and women continue to be excluded from participation in peace processes. It specifically addressed how women and girls are disproportionally impacted by violent conflict and war and recognized the critical role that women can and were playing in peacebuilding efforts. UNSCR 1325 affirmed that peace and security efforts are more sustainable when women are equal partners in the prevention of violent conflict, the delivery of relief and recovery efforts and in the forging of lasting peace.

1) Peace, security and disarmament;

2) Eradication of poverty, including debt cancellation and social development;

3) Human rights;

4) Sustainable development and environment;

5) Facing the challenges of globalization: achieving equity, justice and diversity; and,

6) Strengthening and democratizing the United Nations and international organizations.

The Bahá'í International Community as an NGO representing a cross-section of humankind acted as a unifying agent in major discussions. Our principal representative at the United Nations, Techeste Ahderrom, was appointed to cochair a committee of non-governmental organizations. Lawrence Arturo and Diane 'Alá'í represented the Bahá'í International Community. [BW00-01p87-89, Letter from the Universal House of Justice dated 24 September 2000]

The role was temporarily discontinued during Mohammad Khatami's presidency due to a relative improvement in Iran's human rights situation. However, it was reinstated in 2011 following the violent suppression of mass protests in 2009. The protests, also known as the Green Movement, were against disputed presidential election results.

Despite the Islamic Republic's initial conditions for cooperation – that the rapporteur be male, Muslim, and not from an Arab country – the government has consistently refused to engage with appointees. This pattern of non-cooperation continued with Ahmed Shaheed (2011-2016) and Javaid Rehman (2018-2024), neither of whom were permitted to visit Iran. Mai Sato brings her extensive experience in international human rights to her new role. With a doctorate in law and a background in academic research, Sato has focused on issues such as the death penalty, fair trial rights, and prisoner treatment. Her appointment came at a critical time, following periods of severe repression in Iran, including the crackdowns on anti-government protests of November 2019 and September 2022 and a significant increase in executions. [Iranwire23Jul2024]

The resolution asks Iran to "eliminate, in law and practice… all forms of discrimination on the basis of thought, conscience, religion or belief, including economic restrictions… [and] the denial of and restrictions on access to education, including for members of the Bahá'í faith." It also urges an end to "other human rights violations against persons belonging to recognized and unrecognized religious minorities."

This deprivation of the freedom to practice their religion is a breach of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The United Nations covenant holds that every person has the right to freedom of religion, freedom of converting religion, as well as freedom of expression, individually or collectively; openly or secretly.

Just four days after the UN resolution was passed there were raids on Bahá'í homes in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and its suburbs, Mashhad and Kerman. [Iran Press Watch 22 November 2020; Iran Press Watch 23 November 2020]

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 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.

A source close to Sabet's family revealed that Sabet, aged 70, is battling multiple illnesses that have been aggravated by her prolonged imprisonment. Over the past few months, she has faced several hospitalizations. [Iran Press Watch 11 August 2-23]

They, along with fellow former member of the "Yaran", Mr Afif Naimi, had been arrested on the 31st of July at the outset of the summer crackdown. [BIC News 18 November 2022]

See also the message of 2014 to the Bahá'ís of Iran on the subject of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, prayer, and devotional meetings.

Solomon Belay of the Addis Ababa Office stated: "The summit offered an opportunity to present EU leaders with key insights emerging from the many conversations of the BIC with government officials, policy makers, faith leaders, and civil society organizations about a range of themes being explored by the BIC in recent years, including global governance, migration, climate change, agriculture, and food security. We will be offering the same perspectives to AU leaders."

Rachel Bayani of the Brussels Office explained that reshaping international structures and relationships according to the principle of humanity's oneness is a challenging task that will require effort over generations. "The statement offers a few practical suggestions for moving toward this goal. First is for careful consideration to be given to the impact of European policies on all segments of society in Africa, Europe, and across the world". [BWNS1594]

The message contained details of the treatment of 47 women. They pointed out that over the last year that two-thirds of all Bahá'í prisoners in Iran have been women and that a significant number were being held without due process and their whereabouts were unknown. Many of the victims have been mothers of young children and that they have had to endure the harsh conditions of solitary confinement, frequent interrogations, inadequate medical attention, and restricted family contact.

They called on the government of Iran to provide additional information of the 47 cases mentioned, as well as legal grounds for the steps taken against them and updates on their individual health. They also called for an end to the discrimination against Bahá'í citizens in Iran.

The Universal House of Justice was represented by Henry Tamashiro who delivered this Message.

Specifics

Location:near Lenakel on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu
Unveiling of the design: 18 June 2017
Foundation Stone: 17 November 2019
Construction Period: 17 November 2019 to 13 November 2021
Site Dedication:13 November 2021
Architect: Ashkan Mostaghim
Architectural firm:
Capacity: 300
Dimensions:
Cost:
Dependencies: Amphitheater for large community gatherings
References: BWNS1550; BWNS1549; BWNS1530; BWNS1515; BWNS1175; BWNS1373; BWNS1176

Listed among the accomplishments of the year was the publication of three articles on the Bahá'í World website:

They had been arrested on the 31st of July at the start of yet another crackdown against the Iranian Bahá'ís. Thirteen Bahá'ís were arrested in the raid including Afif Naeimi. Sabet, Kamalabadi and Naeimi were members of a group of people known as the "Yaran," or "Friends" of Iran, which until 2008 served as an informal leadership of the Iranian Bahá'í community. All seven of its members were arrested in 2007 and 2008 and jailed for a decade. [BWNS1631; BIC News 1AUF22; Iran Press Watch 14DEC22; Iran Press Watch July 31, 2023]

The film focuses on the period following the Islamic Revolution and traces the impact of the persecution of the Bahá'ís on several individuals and families. It contrasts the personal lives of Bahá'ís with the public statements of Iranian officials, highlighting the stigmatization and oppression of the Bahá'í minority in Iran.

In this short film called 'Hope from Iran', producer/director Flavio Azm Rassekh attempts to show that although hopelessness has become a major theme in society today, through the stories of four very different individuals, there is still hope, which was born in Persia 200 years ago and it has spread to over 120 thousand localities around the globe. For Iranians, hope will come from nowhere else in the world but from the heart of the country.

The film features four Bahá'ís:

You can watch the Persian version of this animation here.

This short animation explains how only 5% of the population of Iran had access to basic writing skills and knowledge of sciences were kept exclusively to men, however Tahirih and Abdu’l-Baha broke this cycle of oppression.

The film is followed by a Farsi version.

  The report says in part "Despite this prolonged and systematic attack on its integrity and values, Iran's Bahá'í community is not dispirited, demoralized or downtrodden. Nor have they risen up to counter-attack their oppressors with force or any trace of bitterness. Rather they have calmly stated their case and called for their fundamental human rights with dignity and courtesy, winning the admiration of their compatriots, observers and, in some cases, even those who are obligated to oppress them under government policy."

On the 18th of July 2023 security forces arrested Keyvan Rahimian in Tehran and transferred him to Evin Prison. He has a history of previous arrests and convictions related to his activism. Notably, he also serves as a lecturer at an online university affiliated with the Bahá'í community. [IranWire 19 July 2012]

The American screenwriter, director and producer Jeff Kaufman and his co-producer, Marcia S. Ross, were unable to get visas to travel to Iran themselves. They relied on their on-the-ground film crew as well as calls with Sotoudeh and her husband Khandan. The film took four years to make and is essential viewing. Everyone involved, including Sotoudeh, put themselves in jeopardy by agreeing to participate in the project, but clearly, for them, the importance of its message outweighed the risk of arrest. The project also had to forego crowdfunding or fundraising of any kind in order to keep the film secret and protect those involved.

Sotoudeh has been called "the Nelson Mandela of Iran." [Forbes] ,

They called for the establishment of a local Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Kanchanpur, Nepal, and in Mwinilunga, Zambia. A national House of Worship is to be raised up in Toronto, Canada, in the vicinity of the long-established National Bahá'í Centre. [BWNS 1669]

The raid last year prompted repeated calls by the international community for the release of the detained Bahá'ís. In August 2023 six members of the United Nations Security Council “deplored” the detentions and more recently, in May, a powerful coalition of United Nations Special Rapporteurs, European parliamentarians, ambassadors, international human rights organizations, and a Nobel laureate addressed the matter alongside the #FreeYemeniBahá'ís campaign online. Several Yemeni tribal leaders and religious figures also played a major role in the release of the Bahá'í detainees. [BIC News 20 August 2024; BSNS1746]

Reference is made to the Syyhat (Sehat) Hospital in Tehran. At the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Dr Susan Moody went to Tehran and established this hospital, the first to practice Western medicine in Iran. Her story can be found at Bahá'í Blog.

You can watch the Persian version of this animation here.

A Bahá'í in Egypt: A story of 3 generations

The Bahá'ís of Australia embarked on the two year project to facilitate discussion on social cohesion and related questions with hundreds of participants—including officials, organizations of civil society, journalists, and numerous social actors—across all states and territories.

The project began in 2017 and by 2018 the Office of External Affairs had become more engaged. With the encouragement of different social actors and government departments, the idea for Creating an Inclusive Narrative began to take shape. Australia is a country of over 80 ethnic and racial groups in more than 417 localities and the process had to involve diverse voices from different realities throughout the country—east and west, rural and urban, and from the grassroots to the national level. In order for this to scale, many people were involved as facilitators. It was important that facilitators were residents of the areas in which gatherings were taking place ensuring their familiarity with local issues and concerns. This approach meant that facilitators and participants could continue their discussions in between the monthly gatherings, resulting in growing enthusiasm and interest among participants to continue the process. The project eventually sustained monthly gatherings concurrently across several states, resulting in a total of 50 roundtables. [BWNS1504; BWNS1470; BWNS1498]

The release of the film Arising to Serve.

This film is a unique historical and inspirational record of those precious moments when the participants gathered to share what they had learned in their community-building activities, to plan for the work ahead and to celebrate their achievements, arising to serve their fellow citizens of the world.

The BIC statement can be viewed here.

In the Foreword to this edition the Universal House of Justice explained:

The main objective of this retranslation has been to better represent the substance and the style of the original, in particular by capturing more clearly the subtleties of 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's explanations, approximating more closely a style that is at once conversational and elevated, and by rendering more consistently the philosophical terms used throughout the text. While not bound by the original translation, this version nevertheless strives to retain many of its elegant expressions and felicitous turns of phrase. [SAQxvi]
• For a Spanish translation, Contestación A Unas Preguntas of the 1994 edition
• Some Answered Questions 1990 edition.
• Some Answered Questions: Study Outline compiled by Brett Zamir.iiiii
• See the message from the Universal House of Justice dated 21 February 2016 addressed to an individual in response to a question regarding evolution.

• Available online at Bahá'í Library.

A summary of the report is available in English and in Farsi.

• Available online at Bahá'í Library.

A brief look at the Bábi and Bahá'í Faiths as an object of study in nineteenth century Russia and Britain
-- Baron V. R. Rosen's archive in the Russian Academy of Sciences and this book
-- From A. G. Tumanski's correspondence with V. R. Rosen
-- Official reports and private letters of Russian diplomats concerning the Bábis/Bahá'í's
-- Report by the Russian Charge d'Affaire in Tehran Mr. Zinovyev to Duke Gorchakov
-- Babis in Adrionople. Report of Chief of the Consulate staff in Adrionople
-- Information about the Bábis presented by Persians living in Adrionople
-- Information about the Bábis by Yunus Mehdi Effendi, the qadi in Adrianople
-- Report of the Russian Consul General in Adharbayjan Bezobrazov
-- Anonymous diplomatic dispatch concerning an episode in Isfahan
-- From G. Batyushkov's correspondence with V. R. Rosen
-- From V. I. Ignatyev's correspondence with V. R. Rosen
-- Sebastian Voirot's correspondence with V. R. Rosen
-- Some separate transcripts in V. R. Rosen's archive
-- From E. G. Browne's correspondence with Rosen
-- I. Khayrulláh's letter to V. R. Rosen
-- Abul-Fazl Gulpáygání's transcript.

It is available "online..

          This book shines a light on a remarkable heroine of the Bahá'í Faith. Alma Knobloch (1864-1943) one of the three Knobloch sisters, raised up the first African-American community in North America, and was instrumental in the growth of the Bahá'í community in Germany. In His Tablets of the Divine Plan, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote: 'Likewise Miss Knobloch travelled alone to Germany. To what a great extent she became confirmed!'
          Alma's 13 years in Germany saw an astonishing growth in the Bahá'í community to become the largest in Europe. Following 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit in 1913 and the outbreak of the First World War, the emerging community focused its efforts on peace: soldiers who had attended Bahá'í meetings entered the battlefields with Baha'i prayers and quotations against their breasts. Alma continued to open new Bahá'í communities, and at the end of the War she emerged from the bomb shelters of Mannheim to receive confirmations in large halls overflowing with hundreds of people who came to hear the message of Baha'u'llah throughout Germany. She also taught early believers in Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, as well as future Hand of the Cause Hermann Grossmann, and the first European martyr, Adam Benke. Many of the Tablets from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Alma and other believers in Germany from 1908 to 1920 are published in English in this book for the first time.
          In 1920, Alma returned to the United States, where she dedicated the rest of her days to race unity, fearlessly crossing the racial and social barriers to build up lasting communities in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. These later years of her life have been little known until now and are recounted here.

The British Bahá'í community has been in existence since 1899 and its elected national leadership council, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles (later the United Kingdom), was first elected in 1923. Although a number of monographs, articles and biographies have appeared over the years, no overall survey of the community's history has yet been published. The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles, 1844–1963 is an attempt to fill some of the gap.

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

See a presentation by Ben Schewel on the Wilmette Institute site.

See Bahá'í Teachings Org for an essay called A Spiritual Wayfarer's Guide.

See Bahá'í Teachings for more contributions by Joseph Roy Sheppherd.

Part I: Selected Messages of the Universal House of Justice. (26 December 1995 to Ridván 2006)

Part II: Global Plans: Fundamental Concepts

Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops
Two Essential Movements
Learning in Action
Learning to Be Systematic
Learning to Maintain Focus
Learning to Develop Human Resources for Expansion and Consolidation
Learning to Open Aspects of Bahá’í Community Life to Others
Learning to Reach Receptive Populations
Learning to Exercise Disciplined Initiative and to Participate in Collective Action
Learning to Administer Growth
Learning to Plan and to Mobilize

Training Institutes, a document prepared for and approved by the Universal House of Justice, April 1998
Training Institutes and Systematic Growth, a document prepared by the International Teaching Centre, February 2000
Building Momentum: A Coherent Approach to Growth, a document prepared by the International Teaching Centre, April 2003
Impact of Growth on Administration Processes, a document prepared by the International Teaching Centre, July 2005

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.

Exploring Abdul-Bahá's visits to Britain expands the jigsaw of our knowledge of how the east came west. The work posits that the cultic milieu thesis is incomplete and the arrival of eastern forms of religions penetrated more mainstream Christian forms.

The author received his Ph.D from University College Cork in 2017 and is a lecturer in the study of religions at that university.

Lights Of The Spirit is a groundbreaking work that uncovers a piece of history that until now has gone unwritten-the role played by Black people in the emergence of the Bahá'í Faith in North America. Drawing on a wide range of sources including personal essays, letters, and journals, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some extraordinary individuals who devoted themselves to a common cause and made outstanding contributions toward building a unified society.

This book presents a look at the history of early Iranian Bahá'ís who recognized the promised Messiah and the resulting effects on their lives—including severe hardships and stunning achievements. The gradual emergence of a Bahá'í identity among believers of Jewish background is explained. It shows the organic growth of faith and identity—a process that all new adherents to the Faith undergo.

In this volume, leading scholars of Islam, Bahá'í studies and Iranian history come together to examine the life and legacy of the Báb, from his childhood to the founding of the Bahá'í faith and beyond. Among other subjects, they cover the Báb’s writings, his Qur’an commentaries, the societal conditions that underlay the Bábi upheavals, the works of Bábi martyr Tahirih Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, and Orientalist Edward Granville Browne’s encounters with Bábi and Bahá'í texts.

The index for this work can be found at Bahá'í Library Online and at Bahai.works.

This book follows the story of the ‘Adasíyyih community, a farming village established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in what is now Jordan. Bahá'ís from Iran settled there and transformed a degraded parcel of land into the site of a thriving farm and prosperous community whose residents embodied the Bahá'í teachings. It was this farming village— along with several others in the region of the Galilee— that produced a surplus of crops, which enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to keep famine at bay for so many people during World War I, a feat that would earn Him a knighthood from the British Empire. In time, ‘Adasíyyih would become a model village for Jordanians, and Jordan’s royalty would become frequent guests. Author Paul Hanley’ s extensive research, along with his deep interest in agricultural systems, provides a fascinating glimpse at this remarkable history and the lessons that can be applied to current agroecological efforts.

See also interview on Bahá'í Blog.

Table of contents :
Illustrations:
Acknowledgements:
Foreword:
Introduction:
1. Reforms in the Late Ottoman Empire:
2. Early Babis in the Ottoman Empire:
3. The Babis, Iran and the Ottoman Reform Elite:
4. The Baha'is and the 'Fathers' of Ottoman Constitutionalism:
5. Iranian Reformers, Young Turks and the 'Babis' in 19th Century Istanbul:
6. 'Abdu'l-Baha and the Ottomans, 1890s - 1910s:
7. From Empire to Republic: State and Religion in the Era of Kemalist reform:
Conclusions:
Appendices:
Illustration:
Bibliography:
Index

For other work by Necati Alkan in English please see Bahá'í Library Online.

Richard St. Barbe Baker was an inspirational visionary and pioneering environmentalist who is credited with saving and planting billions of trees. He saved lives, too, through his ceaseless global campaign to raise the alarm about deforestation and desertification and by finding effective, culturally sensitive ways for people to contribute to a more peaceful and greener world. He was also an Edwardian eccentric whose obsession with trees caused him to neglect his family; the devout son of an evangelical preacher who became a New Age hero; an unapologetic colonial officer fired for defending indigenous Africans; a forester who rarely had a steady income; a failed entrepreneur and inventor; a proud soldier and peace activist; a brilliant writer, speaker, and raconteur who made wild claims about the effectiveness of his conservation efforts. His encounters with historical figures like FDR, Nehru, and George Bernard Shaw are eye-popping, as were his accomplishments.