- 1989-04-09 — The Bahá'ís of Moscow celebrated the first Feast since the 1930s. The event took place in the Hainsworth home.
[BW20p229]
- 1990-01-15 — Carl Sagan, a professor of astronomy and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University, appealed for religion and science to join hands in preserving the global environment. He was joined in his appeal by 22 well-known scientists. He made this appeal on the first day of a conference on the environment and economic development sponsored by the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival. More than a thousand religious, political and scientific leaders from 83 nations attended the conference. [NY Times 16Jan90; The Global Forum on Environment and Development for Survival]
- 1990-01-24 — The first All-Union Bahá'í Conference was held in Moscow with 250 people gathered from all over the Soviet Union and from 17 other countries. This was the first national Bahá'í conference held in the USSR in about 60 years. [BINS224:8; VV112]
- 1990-04-21 — The re-formation of the Spiritual Assembly of Moscow with Hand of the Cause 'Alí-Akbar Furútan in attendance. [VV111-2]
- 1990-12-08 — The first All-Union Bahá'í Consultative Conference was held in Moscow attended by Bahá'ís from every part of the Soviet Union, members of three Continental Boards of Counsellors and representatives of all those National Spiritual Assemblies having responsibility for the work of the Faith in that area. [BINS 238:6] [CBN Mar91Vol3no8] [VV112]
- 1990-12-08 — The Moscow Conference was attended by Bahá'ís from every part of the Soviet Union, members of three Continental Boards of Counsellors, David Smith, Paul Semenoff and Patrick O'Mara as well as representatives of all those National Assemblies having responsibility for the work of the Faith in that area.
See the message that was sent to the Conference date the 21st of November 1990 by the Universal House of Justice found at Mess86-01p178 which included messages from Shoghi Effendi dated the 11th of January 1923 and the 2nd of January 1930 with predictions about the future of Russia. [CBN Vol 3 No 8 March 1991 p1-3] - 1991-04-21 —
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Soviet Union was formed with its seat in Moscow. [AWH86; BINS246:1–3; VV113]
- This assembly was later renamed the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Georgia. [BW95-96p48]
- It was dissolved in 1992 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Russia and the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova were formed to replace it. [National Spiritual Assemblies: Lists and years of formation by Graham Hassall]
- 1992-11-23 —
The Second World Congress was held in New York City to commemorate the centenary of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh and the completion of the Six Year Plan. It was attended by some 28,000 Bahá'ís from some 180 countries. [BBD240; VV136-141; BW92-93p95-102, 136]
- Nine auxiliary conferences were held in Buenos Aires, Sydney, New Delhi, Nairobi, Panama City, Bucharest, Moscow, Apia and Singapore. [BINS283:3-4]
- For pictures see [BINS283:9-10], [BW92-3p100] and [VV136-141]
- "New York will become a blessed spot from which the call to steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament of God will go forth to every part of the world." - 'Abdu'l-Bahá [AWH77-8 90-1 105-6]
- On the 25th of November a concert was held in Carnegie Hall as a birthday tribute to Dizzy Gillespie called "Celebrating the Bahá'í Vision of World Peace". [VV141]
- On the 26th of November Bahá'ís around the world were linked together by a live satellite broadcast serving the second Bahá'í World Congress, the nine auxiliary conferences and the Bahá'í World Centre and it was received by those with access to satellite dish antennas. [BINS283:1–5, 8; BINS286:10; BINS287:4]
- For the message of the Universal House of Justice read on the satellite link see BW92–3:37–4.
- For accounts of personal experiences by some of the attendees see In the Eyes of His Beloved Servants: The Second Bahá'í World Congress and Holy Year by J. Michael Kafes.
- The film, 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Mission to America, made by Elizabeth Martin, was prepared for the World Congress program and also used in the Theme Pavilion. [HNWE45]
- 2003-11-26 —
The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Ali Akbar Furútan in Haifa at the age of 98. [BWNS261, BW'03-'04pg227]
- Born in Sabzivar, Iran, on 29 April 1905.
- Moved with his family to Ashgabat in what was then Russian Turkestan (now part of Turkmenistan), and, through his years of school and university, he took an active part in the work of the Bahá'í communities of Ashgabat, Baku, Moscow, and other parts of Russia.
- In 1930 he was expelled from the Soviet Union during the Stalinist persecution of religion and from that time on played an ever more significant role in the work and administration of the Iranian Bahá'í community. [BW03-04p227-230]
- Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
- For a tribute from the Universal House of Justice see message of 27 November, 2003.
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