{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-archive-page-jsx","path":"/archive/53/","result":{"pageContext":{"strings":{"about":"About","additional_articles":"Additional Articles","administration":"Administration","africa":"Africa","all_bahaiorg_sites":"All Bahai.org Sites","all_sites":"All sites","all_sites_arising_serve":"Arising to Serve","all_sites_arising_serve_caption":"A film recounting highlights of the 41 regional Bahá’í conferences called by the Universal House of Justice in 2008","all_sites_bahai_org":"The official website of the worldwide Bahá’í community","all_sites_bahai_org_library":"Bahá’í Reference Library","all_sites_bahai_org_library_caption":"The authoritative online source of Bahá’í writings","all_sites_bahaullah_org":"The Life of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bahaullah_org_caption":"A photographic narrative of the life of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bic":"Bahá’í International Community Representative Offices","all_sites_bic_caption":"The official website of the Bahá’í International Community’s Representative Offices. The site contains news and information about recent activity and provides access to BIC statements, reports, and other publications","all_sites_bicentenary":"Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_bicentenary_bab":"Bicentenary of the Birth of The Báb","all_sites_bicentenary_caption":"The official international website for the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_frontiers_learning":"Frontiers of Learning","all_sites_frontiers_learning_caption":"This film captures the insights and experiences of people from four communities across the world whose efforts to build vibrant communities are at the frontiers of learning","all_sites_light_to_the_world":"Light to the World","all_sites_light_to_the_world_caption":"A feature film about the life and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh","all_sites_media_bank":"Bahá’í Media Bank","all_sites_media_bank_caption":"Photographs available for downloading","all_sites_national_communities":"National Bahá’í Communities","all_sites_national_communities_caption":"A page containing links to the websites of many national Bahá’í communities from around the world","all_sites_news_bahai_org_caption":"The official news website of the worldwide Bahá’í community","all_sites_title":"Official Bahá’í Sites","all_sites_universalhouseofjustice_org":"The Universal House of Justice","all_sites_universalhouseofjustice_org_caption":"Information about the Universal House of Justice and selected statements and letters","all_sites_widening_embrace":"A Widening Embrace","all_sites_widening_embrace_caption":"A documentary film about the community-building efforts of the Bahá’í world","americas":"Americas","android":"Android","archive_results_to_of_a":"Results","archive_results_to_of_b":"to","archive_results_to_of_c":"of","asia":"Asia","back_to_story":"Back to Story","bahai_international_community":"Bahá'í International Community","bahai_media_bank":"Bahá’í Media Bank","bahai_reference_library":"Bahá’í Reference Library","bahai_world_centre":"Bahá’í World Centre","bahai_world_news_service":"Bahá’í World News Service","bahai_world_news_service_bwns":"Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","bahaiorg_home":"Bahai.org Home","bahais_semnan":"The Bahá’ís of Semnan","battambang_cambodia_house_worship":"House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia","battambang_cambodia_temple":"Battambang, Cambodia Temple Inauguration","before_downloading_terms":"Before downloading please refer to the [Terms of use](/legal/).","bic_un_office":"Bahá’í International Community\nUN Office","brief_history":"Brief history","bwns_noTranslation":"BWNS","cdn_documentlibrary_path":"http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/","cdn_images_path":"//bwns.imgix.net/","chile_house_worship":"Chile House of Worship","chile_temple":"Chile Temple Inauguration","close":"Close","closed_doors_denial_education_iran":"Closed Doors: Denial of Education in Iran","comma":",","comprehensive_report":"Comprehensive report","contact":"Contact","contact_h1":"Contacting the Bahá’í World News Service","contact_h2":"Contacting Bahá’í institutions","contact_h3":"Reporting technical problems","contact_information":"Contact Information","contact_p1":"General inquiries about BWNS can be directed to [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org). Information regarding news and media contacts is available in the [Media Information](/media-information/) section.","contact_p2":"The Bahá’í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world. At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are guided by National Spiritual Assemblies, and a list of websites for many national Bahá’í communities can be found at the [National Communities page](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/) on Bahai.org.","contact_p3":"To report a technical problem with this site, please send a detailed description and screenshot of the issue, along with the address of the page where it occurred, to [webmaster@bahai.org](mailto:webmaster@bahai.org). Please note that this email address exists to receive reports of technical problems with the site and it is not possible to respond to other queries through this facility.","copy_link":"Copy Link","did_not_match_any_documents_showing_results_for":"did not match any documents. Showing results for","did_you_mean":"Did you mean:","download":"Download","download_highest_resolution":"Download highest resolution","email":"Email","email_address":"Email Address","enlarge":"Enlarge","error_page":"Error Occurred","error_page_p1":"Sorry. An error has occurred with your request. It would help us if you let us know what you were trying to do when this error occurred by using our [contact form](https://www.bahai.org/contact/).","europe":"Europe","featured_stories":"Featured stories","featured_videos":"Featured videos","follow_updates_via_instagram_twitter":"Follow the Bahá’í World News Service on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates and stories","from_bwns_archive":"From the Bahá’í World News Service archive","get_notified_stories":"Get notified of stories","highest_resolution":"Highest resolution","historical_photographs":"Historical photographs","homepage_feature_audio_h2":"Recent podcast episodes","homepage_feature_audio_h3":"Audio versions of stories","homepage_feature_audio_p1":"Selected audio content from around the globe","homepage_feature_h1":"Subscribe to BWNS Updates","houses_worship":"Houses of Worship","human_rights_iran":"Human Rights in Iran","images":"images","ios":"iOS","iran_news_stories":"Iran News Stories","key_terms_facts":"Key terms and facts","latest_headlines":"Latest headlines","latest_video_category":"Latest","legal":"Legal","legal_h1":"Privacy","legal_h2":"Terms of Use","legal_information":"Legal Information","legal_li_1":"They must at all times be attributed to the Bahá’í World News Service.","legal_li_2":"Photographs and stories cannot be used in any way (including, without limitation, suggesting an association with or endorsement of any product, service, opinion or cause) that conflicts with the intent and premise of the original source.","legal_li_3":"Photographs may be edited for size only. Captions must remain with the photographs at all times.","legal_li_4":"The Bahá’í World News Service will not be responsible to any person or organization for any liability for any direct, incidental,  consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that may result from any access to or use of the stories and/or photographs on our site.","legal_li_5":"Although this blanket permission to reproduce BWNS material is given freely such that no special permission is required, the Bahá’í World News Service retains full copyright protection for its stories and photographs under all applicable national and international laws.","legal_p1_1":"On this Web site we try to ensure your privacy. We collect only personal information provided by you on a voluntary basis, in order to respond to your queries and to send you any additional information and material that you request.","legal_p1_2":"Visitors to this Web site are not tracked, except to produce aggregate statistical data that does not identify individual users. Where we must use cookies to provide essential functionality, these are not used to track your use of the site or to store personally-identifiable information. Steps have been taken to ensure that all information collected from you will remain secure, free from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Please keep in mind that if you leave this site via a link, the other site may have a different policy regarding privacy.","legal_p1_3a":"We occasionally update this privacy policy and encourage you to review it periodically. If you wish to correct your personal information, or have questions regarding this policy, please send an email message to","legal_p1_3b":"or call the Bahá’í World News Service at +972 (4) 835-8412, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. GMT +2, Sunday through Thursday.","legal_p2_1":"All stories and photographs produced by the Bahá’í World News Service may be freely reprinted, e-mailed, posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization, subject to the following restrictions:","legal_p2_2":"The Bahá’í World News Service is an agency of the Bahá’í International Community, a nongovernmental organization that represents and encompasses the five million members of the Bahá’í Faith.","links_other_websites":"Links to other Web sites","listen":"Listen","listen_bwns":"Listen to BWNS","load_more_results":"Load more results","media_bank":"Media Bank","media_information":"Media Information","media_information_about_bwns":"About BWNS","media_information_administration_h2":"International","media_information_administration_h3":"National","media_information_administration_h4":"Local","media_information_administration_p1":"The Bahá’í Faith is administered by a series of elected bodies at the local, national, and international levels. There is no class of ecclesiastics or clergy.","media_information_administration_p2":"The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It is the supreme administrative body ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years at the International Bahá’í Convention, where members of the National Spiritual Assemblies (see below) around the world serve as delegates. The Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963. Its permanent seat is on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_administration_p3":"At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member elected council responsible for guiding, co-ordinating, and stimulating the activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual members of the Bahá’í community within a given country. The responsibilities of a National Spiritual Assembly include channelling the community’s financial resources, fostering the growth and vibrancy of the national Bahá’í community, supervising the affairs of the community including its social and economic development activities and its properties, overseeing relations with government, resolving questions from individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and strengthening the participation of the Bahá’í community in the life of society at the national level.","media_information_administration_p4":"At the local level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Each Local Assembly consists of nine members who are chosen in annual elections. As with all other elected Bahá’í institutions, the Assembly functions as a body and makes decisions through consultation. The responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly include promoting the spiritual education of children and young people, strengthening the spiritual and social fabric of Bahá’í community life, assessing and utilizing the community’s resources, and ensuring that the energies and talents of community members contribute towards progress.","media_information_administration_p5":"In addition, the Bahá’í Faith has **counsellors**, appointed to five-year terms by the Universal House of Justice, who serve as advisers in countries and regions around the world. Currently there are 90 such counsellors assigned to specific countries or regions, and an additional nine counsellors who constitute the membership of the International Teaching Centre at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa.","media_information_administration_p6":"The Bahá’í International Community is a non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_a":"the Seat of the Universal House of Justice,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_b":"the International Teaching Centre,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_c":"the Centre for the Study of the Texts,","media_information_bahai_world_centre_li_4_d":"the International Archives Building.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p1":"The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith is permanently established in the Acre-Haifa area of northern Israel, following the explicit instructions of Bahá’u’lláh.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p2":"The burial place, or shrine, of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and that of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa are the holiest spots on earth for Bahá’ís. Other sites associated with the life of Bahá’u’lláh as well as the burial site of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are revered by Bahá’ís as holy places.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p3":"The shrines are the object of pilgrimage for thousands of Bahá’ís each year.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p4":"The administrative offices are positioned in an Arc across Mount Carmel in Haifa and include:","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p5":"Also in Haifa are the Bahá’í International Community’s Secretariat and Office of Public Information.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p6":"The Bahá’í World Centre is known for the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre, and also for the gardens and terraces surrounding the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_bahai_world_centre_p7":"At this time the Shrine of the Báb is open to the public.","media_information_brief_history_p1":"The Bahá’í Faith traces its origin to 1844 and the announcement by a young man, Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad, in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), that He had been sent by God to prepare humanity for a new age and the imminent appearance of another Messenger even greater than Himself.","media_information_brief_history_p10":"During the 40 years of His exile, Bahá’u’lláh revealed a series of books, tablets, and letters that today form the core of the **holy writings of the Bahá’í Faith**. Comprising the equivalent of some 100 volumes, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh describe the nature of God and the purpose of human existence, give new religious laws, and outline a vision for creating a peaceful and prosperous global society.","media_information_brief_history_p11":"In His will, Bahá’u’lláh named His eldest son, ‘Abbás Effendi (1844-1921), as the head of the Bahá’í Faith and authorized interpreter of His teachings. ‘Abbás Effendi, known to Bahá’ís as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (“Servant of Bahá”), became well-known in the Haifa/Acre area for his charitable works, and he also traveled through Europe and North America to encourage nascent Bahá’í communities and to proclaim Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the general public. The writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are considered part of the sacred scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_brief_history_p12":"‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in 1921. In his will he had designated his grandson **Shoghi Effendi** (1897-1957) as his successor, with the title of **Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith**. During the ministry of Shoghi Effendi, the religion spread around the world, and its local and national administrative institutions were established. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the line of hereditary leaders of the Bahá’í Faith came to an end.","media_information_brief_history_p13":"Following provisions established by Bahá’u’lláh, in 1963 the **Universal House of Justice** was elected to direct the affairs of the worldwide Bahá’í community. The nine members of the Universal House of Justice are elected every five years by the members of the Bahá’í national administrative bodies around the world.","media_information_brief_history_p2":"Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad took the title of the **Báb** (meaning “Gate” in Arabic) and said the one whose coming He foretold would be the universal Manifestation of God sent to inaugurate an age of peace and enlightenment as promised in all the world’s religions.","media_information_brief_history_p3":"The Báb’s teachings, which spread rapidly, were viewed as heretical by the clergy and government of Persia. More than 20,000 of His followers, known as Bábís, perished in a series of massacres throughout the country.","media_information_brief_history_p4":"The Báb Himself was publicly executed in the city of Tabriz on 9 July 1850.","media_information_brief_history_p5":"Bahá’ís consider the Báb to be both an independent Messenger of God and the forerunner of **Bahá’u’lláh** (“the Glory of God” in Arabic), who is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_brief_history_p6":"Bahá’u’lláh, whose name was Mírzá Husayn ‘Alí, was born into a noble family in Tehran on 12 November 1817. In His mid-20s, He declined a life of privilege and became one of the leading disciples of the Báb.","media_information_brief_history_p7":"In 1852, in the course of the persecution of the Bábís, He was arrested, beaten, and thrown into an infamous dungeon in Tehran. After four months, He was released and banished from His native land – the beginning of 40 years of exile and imprisonment.","media_information_brief_history_p8":"He was first sent to Baghdad, where He and His companions stayed for 10 years. In 1863, on the eve of His further banishment to what is now Turkey and then to the Holy Land, Bahá’u’lláh announced that He was the Universal Messenger of God foretold by the Báb.","media_information_brief_history_p9":"In 1868, Bahá’u’lláh arrived in the Holy Land with about 70 family members and followers, sentenced by the Ottoman authorities to perpetual confinement in the penal colony of Acre. The order of confinement was never lifted, but because of the growing recognition of His outstanding character, He eventually was able to move outside the walls of the prison city. He lived His final years at a country home called Bahjí, where He passed away in 1892. He was interred there, and His shrine is the holiest place on earth for Bahá’ís.","media_information_description":"Contacts, facts, style guide,\ngeneral information, and photos","media_information_h1":"National and local","media_information_h2":"International","media_information_h2_a":"Bahá’í World News Service","media_information_h2_b":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_h2_c":"Bahá’í International Community - United Nations Offices:","media_information_h2_e":"For languages other than English:","media_information_houses_worship_li_1":"Wilmette, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1953.","media_information_houses_worship_li_2":"Kampala, Uganda. Opened in 1961.","media_information_houses_worship_li_3":"Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1961.","media_information_houses_worship_li_4":"Frankfurt, Germany. Opened in 1964.","media_information_houses_worship_li_5":"Panama City, Panama. Opened in 1972.","media_information_houses_worship_li_6":"Apia, Samoa. Opened in 1984.","media_information_houses_worship_li_7":"New Delhi, India. Opened in 1986.","media_information_houses_worship_li_8":"Santiago, Chile. Opened in 2016.","media_information_houses_worship_li_9":"Battambang, Cambodia. Opened in 2017.","media_information_houses_worship_li_10":"Norte del Cauca, Colombia. Opened in 2018.","media_information_houses_worship_li_11":"Matunda Soy, Kenya. Opened in 2021.","media_information_houses_worship_li_12":"Tanna, Vanuatu. Opened in 2021.","media_information_houses_worship_li_13":"Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Opened in 2023.","media_information_houses_worship_li_14":"Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Opened in 2024.","media_information_houses_worship_p1":"Bahá’u’lláh designated Bahá’í Houses of Worship as spiritual gathering places for prayer and meditation around which will cluster social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific institutions. Eight continental, two national, and four local Bahá’í Houses of Worship have been built.","media_information_houses_worship_p2":"The physical structure of a House of Worship comprises a central building—a House of Worship—along with several dependencies. While the House of Worship forms the focal point of worship in a geographical area, its purpose is not solely to provide a place for prayer. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that, through the provision of education, healthcare and other services it is also to support the social and economic progress of the community and afford shelter, relief and assistance to those in need. In this connection, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá anticipated that subsidiary branches—such as a hospital, school, university, dispensary, and hospice—would gradually be added to a House of Worship. Bahá’u’lláh refers to the House of Worship as a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, Arabic for “dawning place of the mention of God.”","media_information_houses_worship_p3":"Bahá’í Houses of Worship are located in:","media_information_houses_worship_p4":"Plans are underway to build a national House of Worship in Brazil, Canada, and Malawi. A local House of Worship is also being constructed in Batouri, Cameroon; Bihar Sharif, India; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. At the local level, meetings for worship are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in the homes of believers all over the world.","media_information_key_terms_facts_h1":"Name of the religion and of the organization – the Bahá’í Faith","media_information_key_terms_facts_h2":"Founder of the Bahá’í Faith – Bahá’u’lláh","media_information_key_terms_facts_h3":"Year of founding – 1844","media_information_key_terms_facts_h4":"Head of the religion – the Universal House of Justice","media_information_key_terms_facts_h5":"Number of Bahá’ís – more than 5 million","media_information_key_terms_facts_h6":"Description of the religion and key beliefs","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_a":"the unity of the races and elimination of prejudice,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_b":"the equality of women and men,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_c":"universal education,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_d":"the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_e":"a spiritual solution to economic problems,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_f":"establishment of a universal auxiliary language,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_g":"the harmony of science and religion,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_h":"the independent investigation of truth,","media_information_key_terms_facts_li_6_i":"the creation of a world commonwealth of nations that will keep the peace through collective security.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_a":"The Bahá’í Faith is an independent world religion.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_b":"A member is called a Bahá’í (plural: Bahá’ís). It is also correct to say that someone is a “member of the Bahá’í Faith,” a “follower of the Bahá’í Faith,” a “follower of Bahá’u’lláh,” or a member of the Bahá’í community of a given locality.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p1_c":"The term “Bahá’í International Community” refers to the non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations (UN) as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p2":"Bahá’ís consider Bahá’u’lláh to be the most recent in a line of great religious teachers, or Messengers of God, that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Krishna, Muhammad, Moses, Zoroaster, and others. Bahá’u’lláh—the name is Arabic for “Glory of God”—was born in 1817 in Tehran, Iran, and passed away in 1892 in Acre, Israel. The coming of Bahá’u’lláh was announced by the Báb (Arabic for “Gate”), also considered by Bahá’ís to be a divine Messenger.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p3":"There are a number of important dates in the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith, but the first announcement by the Báb of the new religion came in 1844.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p4":"The Universal House of Justice is the international governing council of the Bahá’í community, an elected body of nine men. Its seat is at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Around the world, in almost all countries, a National Spiritual Assembly oversees the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in that country, and Local Spiritual Assemblies oversee local affairs.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_a":"The Bahá’í Faith is an independent, monotheistic religion established in virtually every country of the world. Bahá’ís believe that the world’s major religions represent unfolding chapters in God’s teachings for humankind, and that the writings of Bahá’u’lláh represent God’s guidance for this age.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_b":"Bahá’u’lláh’s central teaching is the unity of humanity under one God.","media_information_key_terms_facts_p6_c":"Among the many Bahá’í principles are the following:","media_information_key_terms_facts_p7":"For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_li_a_1":"Phone (office): +972 (4) 835-8412","media_information_li_a_2":"E-mail, for news inquiries: [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org)","media_information_li_b_1":"Mr. Saleem Vaillaincourt (London)","media_information_li_b_2":"Senior information officer","media_information_li_b_3":"Phone (office): +1 (212) 803-2544","media_information_li_b_4":"E-mail: [media@bic.org](mailto:media@bic.org)","media_information_li_c_1":"Ms. Bani Dugal (New York)","media_information_li_c_2":"Principal Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations","media_information_li_c_3":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_li_c_4":"Phone: +1 (212) 803-2500","media_information_li_c_5":"After-hours phone: +1 (914) 329-3020","media_information_li_c_6":"E-mail: [uno-nyc@bic.org](mailto:uno-nyc@bic.org)","media_information_li_d_1":"Ms. Simin Fahandej (Geneva)","media_information_li_d_2":"Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations","media_information_li_d_3":"Bahá’í International Community","media_information_li_d_4":"Phone: +41 (27) 798-5400","media_information_li_d_5":"After-hours phone: +41 (78) 880-0759","media_information_li_d_6":"E-mail: [geneva@bic.org](mailto:geneva@bic.org)","media_information_li_e_1":"Persian – Simin Fahandej, +41 (27) 798-5400","media_information_li_e_2":"French – Rachel Bayani, +32 (475) 750394","media_information_li_e_3":"To arrange other languages +972 (4) 835-8412","media_information_media_contacts":"Media Contacts","media_information_p1":"Editors, journalists, and other media professionals are encouraged to contact the National Office of the Bahá’ís of their own country. See [National Communities](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/).","media_information_p2":"BWNS reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","media_information_p3":"Information about the Bahá’í Faith is available at [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org/)","media_information_p_native":"The website for BWNS is located at [news.bahai.org](https://news.bahai.org/)","media_information_photographs_p1":"To arrange for photographs, you are encouraged to contact the office of the National Spiritual Assembly of the  Bahá’ís of your country. See [National Communities](https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/).","media_information_photographs_p2":"For more information, or for international photographs, contact the Bahá’í World Centre:","media_information_photographs_p3":"Phone: +972 (4) 835-8412  \n            E-mail: [news@bahai.org](mailto:news@bahai.org)","media_information_photographs_p4":"Photographs here may be downloaded and published, with photo credit given to the Bahá’í World Centre. [Terms of use](https://news.bahai.org/legal/).","media_information_photographs_p5":"Additional photos are available through the [Bahá’í Media Bank](https://media.bahai.org/). Images attached to articles in the [Bahá’í World News Service](https://news.bahai.org/) main site may also be downloaded.","media_information_photographs_p6":"Photographs of Bahá’ís imprisoned in Iran are available in the [Iran Update](/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html) section of this Web site.","media_information_sidecontent_h1":"Bahá’ís in Iran","media_information_sidecontent_li":"Updates, background, photos","media_information_statistics_p1":"There are more than 5 million Bahá’ís in the world.","media_information_statistics_p2":"The Bahá’í Faith is established in virtually every country and in many dependent territories and overseas departments of countries. Bahá’ís reside in well over 100,000 localities. About 2,100 indigenous tribes, races, and ethnic groups are represented in the Bahá’í community.","media_information_statistics_p3":"There are currently 188 councils at the national level that oversee the work of communities. A network of over 300 training institutes, offering formal programs of Bahá’í education, span the globe.","media_information_statistics_p4":"Of the several thousand Bahá’í efforts in social and economic development, more than 900 are large-scale, sustained projects, including more than 600 schools and over 70 development agencies.","media_information_statistics_p5":"There are currently 14 Bahá’í Houses of Worship – in Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Germany, India, Kenya, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Uganda, the United States, and Vanuatu. Plans are underway to build a national House of Worship in Brazil, Canada, and Malawi. Local Houses of Worship are also being constructed in Batouri, Cameroon; Bihar Sharif, India; Kanchanpur, Nepal; and Mwinilunga, Zambia. At the local level, meetings for worship are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in the homes of believers all over the world.","media_information_statistics_p6":"The Bahá’í International Community has been registered with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York.","media_information_statistics_p7":"Bahá’í writings and other literature have been translated into more than 800 languages.","media_information_statistics_p8":"Each year, around one million people visit the Bahá’í Shrine, terraces, and gardens on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.","media_information_statistics_p9":"In Iran, where the Bahá’í Faith originated, there are now about 300,000 Bahá’ís, constituting the largest religious minority in that country.","media_information_style_guide_h1":"Pronunciation guide","media_information_style_guide_h2":"Style guide and glossary","media_information_style_guide_p1":"**Bahá’í:**   Ba-HIGH  \n            **Bahá’u’lláh:**   Ba-ha-ul-LAH  \n            **Báb:**   Bahb (Bob)  \n            **‘Abdu’l-Bahá:**   Abdul ba-HAH  \n            **Naw-Rúz:**   Naw Rooz  \n            **Ridván:**   REZ-vahn","media_information_style_guide_p2_1":"**‘Abdu’l-Bahá** (1844-1921) – The son of Bahá’u’lláh who was the head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1892 to 1921. Bahá’u’lláh in His will had designated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His successor. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá occupies a special station as the authoritative interpreter of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and as the perfect example of how a Bahá’í should live. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled widely through Europe and North America from 1911-1913, explaining his Father’s teachings in talks, interviews, and addresses at universities, churches, temples, synagogues, and missions for the poor. (Bahá’ís capitalize pronouns—for example, “He”—that refers to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá out of respect for his special station. Such pronouns are not capitalized in this guide in deference to international journalistic style and also to avoid confusion with Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, who are considered to be divine Prophets.) For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_10":"**Bahá’í Faith** – The correct term for the religion is the Bahá’í Faith. It is an independent, monotheistic religion established in virtually every country of the world. It is not a sect of another religion. In a list of major religions, it would look like this: Hinduism, Zoroastrianism,  Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_style_guide_p2_11":"**Bahá’í International Community** – The Bahá’í International Community is a non-governmental organization that represents the worldwide Bahá’í community. It has been registered with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1948. It currently has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Bahá’í International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations, academia, and practitioners. It has Representative Offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, Jakarta, and New York. For more information, see [bic.org](https://www.bic.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_12":"**Bahá’í World Centre** – The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith, comprising the holy places in the Haifa/Acre area in northern Israel and the Arc of administrative buildings on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The Bahá’í World Centre itself uses the spelling “Centre”; elsewhere both “Centre” and “Center” are used, depending on the custom of the country.","media_information_style_guide_p2_13":"**Bahá’u’lláh** – The founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who lived from 1817 to 1892, considered by Bahá’ís to be the most recent divine Messenger, or Manifestation of God, in a line of great religious figures that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Moses, Muhammad, Zoroaster, the Báb, and others. Bahá’u’lláh was born in Tehran in present-day Iran, and passed away near Acre, in what is now Israel. “Bahá’u’lláh” is a title that means the “Glory of God” in Arabic; His name was Mírzá Husayn-‘Alí. His writings, which would equal about a hundred volumes, form the basis of the Bahá’í teachings. For more information, see [Bahai.org](http://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_14":"**Bahjí** – The place near Acre where the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh (His burial place) is located, as well as the mansion that was His last residence and surrounding gardens. It is a place of pilgrimage for Bahá’ís. The word “Bahjí” is Arabic for “delight.”","media_information_style_guide_p2_15":"**children’s classes** – Classes in moral education, open to all, that are provided for children, operated at the community level by the Bahá’í training institute.","media_information_style_guide_p2_16":"**Convention** – See [International Bahá’í Convention](#internationalbahaiconvention) and [National Bahá’í Convention](#nationalbahaicconvention).","media_information_style_guide_p2_18":"**counsellor** – An adviser appointed by the Universal House of Justice who serves in a particular geographic area or at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. At present, there are 90 counsellors assigned to specific countries or regions, and nine counsellors who form the membership of the International Teaching Centre at the  Bahá’í World Centre. Appointments are for five years.","media_information_style_guide_p2_19":"**devotional meetings** – Gatherings, often in people’s homes, for prayers and to read the sacred writings of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions. Usually undertaken as an individual initiative.","media_information_style_guide_p2_2":"**accent marks** – Bahá’í, Bahá’u’lláh, and other names are written with accent marks, but many publications and websites do not have the facility for using such marks.","media_information_style_guide_p2_20":"**fast, the** – A period during which Bahá’ís abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown during the Bahá’í month of ‘Alá’, from 2 March to 20 March. Bahá’u’lláh enjoined His followers to pray and fast during this period. The sick, the traveler, and pregnant women, among others, are exempt.","media_information_style_guide_p2_21":"**feast** – See [Nineteen Day Feast](#nineteendayfeast).","media_information_style_guide_p2_22":"**Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith** – See [Shoghi Effendi](#shoghieffendi).","media_information_style_guide_p2_23":"**Haifa** – The city in northern Israel that, along with nearby Acre, is the location of the Bahá’í World Centre. The international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith (including the Seat of the Universal House of Justice), the Shrine of the Báb, and surrounding terraces and gardens are all located on Mount Carmel in the heart of Haifa.","media_information_style_guide_p2_24":"**Holy days** – Eleven days that commemorate significant Bahá’í anniversaries. The nine holy days on which work is suspended are the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Birth of the Báb, Declaration of the Báb, Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Martyrdom of the Báb, Naw-Rúz, Ridván (a 12-day festival, of which the first, ninth and 12th days are holy days). The other two holy days are the Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. *See names of individual holy days.*","media_information_style_guide_p2_25":"**Holy Land** – The area associated with present-day Israel, which is holy to a number of religions, including to Bahá’ís. The resting places of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and of the Báb in Haifa are, to Bahá’ís, the holiest spots on earth.","media_information_style_guide_p2_26":"**International Archives Building** – One of the buildings at the Bahá’í World Centre on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The repository of many sacred relics of the Bahá’í Faith, it is visited by thousands of Bahá’í pilgrims each year.","media_information_style_guide_p2_27":"**International Bahá’í Convention** – A gathering every five years of delegates from around the world to consult on the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith and elect the members of the Universal House of Justice. Members of the National Spiritual Assemblies serve as delegates.","media_information_style_guide_p2_28":"**International Teaching Centre** – One of the institutions at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa. The International Teaching Centre has nine members, all counsellors appointed by the Universal House of Justice. Appointments are for five years.","media_information_style_guide_p2_29":"**Local Spiritual Assembly** – At the local level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Each Local Assembly consists of nine members who are chosen in annual elections. As with all other elected Bahá’í institutions, the Assembly functions as a body and makes decisions through consultation. The responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly include promoting the spiritual education of children and young people, strengthening the spiritual and social fabric of Bahá’í community life, assessing and utilizing the community’s resources, and ensuring that the energies and talents of community members contribute towards progress.","media_information_style_guide_p2_3":"**Acre**– English rendering of the name of the city north of Haifa where Bahá’u’lláh was exiled in 1868. He lived in or near the city until His passing in 1892. Bahá’ís often use the Arabic name, ‘Akká, which was the name in general use during the time of Bahá’u’lláh. In Hebrew the name is Akko.","media_information_style_guide_p2_30":"**Mount Carmel** – In Haifa, Israel, site of the Bahá’í World Centre, including several Bahá’í holy places, the most important of which is the Shrine of the Báb, and the buildings housing the administrative offices of the Bahá’í World Centre.","media_information_style_guide_p2_31":"**National Bahá’í Convention** – In each country, the annual gathering of elected delegates to discuss the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in their jurisdiction and to elect the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.","media_information_style_guide_p2_32":"**National Spiritual Assembly** – At the national level, the affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member elected council responsible for guiding, co-ordinating, and stimulating the activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual members of the Bahá’í community within a given country. The responsibilities of a National Spiritual Assembly include channelling the community’s financial resources, fostering the growth and vibrancy of the national Bahá’í community, supervising the affairs of the community including its social and economic development activities and its properties, overseeing relations with government, resolving questions from individuals and Local Spiritual Assemblies, and strengthening the participation of the Bahá’í community in the life of society at the national level.","media_information_style_guide_p2_33":"**Nineteen Day Feast** – An administrative gathering at the local level. The term refers to a spiritual “feast” of prayers,  consultation and fellowship. It is held every 19 days, on the first day of each Bahá’í month.","media_information_style_guide_p2_34":"**pilgrimage** – Each year thousands of Bahá’ís undertake pilgrimage, during which they forge a profound and lasting connection with the spiritual and administrative centre of their Faith, located in the Haifa-Acre area of what is now northern Israel. Bahá’í pilgrims pray and meditate at the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and the Shrine of the Báb, as well as in the beautiful gardens that surround them. They also draw inspiration from the time spent at various historical sites associated with the lives of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, as well as from visits to the edifices dedicated to the worldwide administration of the Bahá’í Faith.","media_information_style_guide_p2_35":"**progressive revelation** – The central belief that Manifestations of God have successively provided the guidance necessary for humanity’s social and spiritual evolution.","media_information_style_guide_p2_36":"**Regional Bahá’í Council** – In some countries, the National Spiritual Assembly assigns certain of its functions to Regional Bahá’í Councils, which serve a designated geographical area within the land in question. The responsibilities of a Regional Council may include carrying out policies of the National Spiritual Assembly, supervising progress of particular plans and projects, and taking steps to stimulate and coordinate the growth of the Bahá’í community within the region.","media_information_style_guide_p2_37":"**Shoghi Effendi** (1897-1957) – The head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1921 to 1957. His title is Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. He is the grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh. For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_38":"**Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh** – The resting place of the mortal remains of Bahá’u’lláh, located near the city of Acre in what is now Israel. The shrine is the holiest spot on earth to Bahá’ís and a place of pilgrimage.","media_information_style_guide_p2_39":"**Shrine of the Báb** – The resting place of the mortal remains of the Báb, located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. It is a sacred site to Bahá’ís and a place of pilgrimage.","media_information_style_guide_p2_4":"**‘Akká, Akko** – See entry above for “[Acre](#acre)”.","media_information_style_guide_p2_40":"**study circles** – A study circle is one of the principal elements of the process of distance education offered by the [Bahá’í training institute](https://www.bahai.org/action/response-call-bahaullah/training-institute). It is a small group that meets regularly to study the institute course materials.","media_information_style_guide_p2_41":"**Universal House of Justice** – The international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith. It is the supreme administrative body ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years at the International Bahá’í Convention, where members of the National Spiritual Assemblies around the world serve as delegates. The Universal House of Justice was first elected in 1963. Its permanent seat is on Mount Carmel in Haifa.","media_information_style_guide_p2_5":"**Arc** – An area on Mount Carmel in Haifa, shaped like an arc, where the major international administrative buildings of the Bahá’í Faith, including the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, are situated.","media_information_style_guide_p2_6":"**Báb** – The title, meaning “Gate,” assumed by Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad, the Founder of the Bábí Faith and the Forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh. Considered by Bahá’ís to be one of the twin Manifestations of God associated with the Bahá’í Faith. Born on 20 October 1819, the Báb proclaimed Himself to be the Promised One of Islam and said His mission was to announce the imminent coming of another Messenger even greater than Himself, namely Bahá’u’lláh. Because of these claims, the Báb was executed by firing squad in the public square in Tabriz on 9 July 1850. His remains were hidden in Iran for many years before being taken to Haifa/Acre in 1899 and buried on Mount Carmel in 1909. For more information, see [Bahai.org](http://www.bahai.org).","media_information_style_guide_p2_7":"**Bábí Faith** – The religion founded by the Báb. After 1863 and the announcement by Bahá’u’lláh that He was the Messenger whose coming had been foretold by the Báb, the Bahá’í Faith gradually became established and most followers of the Báb began to call themselves Bahá’ís.","media_information_style_guide_p2_8":"**Badí‘ calendar** – The Bahá’í calendar, consisting of 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of intercalary days known as Ayyám-i-Há. The number of these intercalary days varies according to the timing of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere in successive years. The first day of the year corresponds to the spring equinox. The Bahá’í era (B.E.) begins with 1844, the year of the Báb’s declaration. For more information, see [Bahai.org](https://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/calendar).","media_information_style_guide_p2_9":"**Bahá’í** – (1) A noun referring to a member of the Bahá’í Faith. The plural is Bahá’ís. (2) An adjective describing a person, place, or thing related to the Bahá’í Faith. Examples: a Bahá’í book, the Bahá’í community, a Bahá’í holy day, a Bahá’í holy place.","media_reports":"Media Reports","menu":"Menu","meta_description_bwns":"The Bahá’í World News Service - BWNS - The official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í community, reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","minutes_short":"min","mobile_app":"Mobile app","national_bahai_communities":"National Bahá’í Communities","news_email":"news@bahai.org","news_service_home":"BWNS Home","no_matches_for":"No matches for","no_results_for":"No results for","number_of":"of","oceania":"Oceania","official_news_site":"Official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í community","one_country":"One Country","other_bahai_sites":"Other Bahá’í Sites","other_sites":"Other sites","other_stories":"Other Stories","overview_section":"Overview of this Section","page_link":"Page link","photographs":"Photographs","photographs_download":"Photographs for download","podcast":"Podcast","podcast_available":"Podcast available","podcast_description_bwns":"Reporting on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","podcast_p1":"The Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS) podcast reports on major developments and endeavors of the global Bahá’í community.","podcast_subscribe":"Subscribe to the BWNS podcast for additional audio content.","print":"Print","privacy":"Privacy","recent_articles":"Recent Articles","recent_headlines":"Recent headlines","recent_media_reports":"Recent media reports","recieve_stories_email":"Receive stories via email","related_stories":"Related Stories","results":"Results","return_top":"Return to top","rss":"RSS","search":"Search","search_bahai_reference_library":"Search the Bahá’í Reference Library","search_bahaiorg":"Search Bahai.org","search_news_service":"Search the News Service","section_shrine_of_abdulbaha_description":"Read reports on the progress","section_shrine_of_abdulbaha_title":"Coverage of Construction Work of the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá","see_all":"See All","seven_bahais_leaders":"The Seven Bahá’í Leaders","share":"Share","share_this_article":"Share this article","share_this_page":"Share this page","show_more":"Show more","sign_up":"Sign Up","slideshow":"Slideshow","social_media_name_instagram":"Instagram","social_media_name_instagram_account":"bahaiworldnewsservice","social_media_name_twitter":"Twitter","social_media_name_twitter_account":"bahainews","special_reports":"SPECIAL REPORTS","special_reports_shrine_construction":"Coverage of construction work for the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá","statistics":"Statistics","story_archive":"Story Archive","style_glossary_pronunciation_guide":"Style guide, glossary and pronunciation guide","subscribe":"Subscribe","subscribe-confirmation-message":"Thank you for your interest in Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS)","subscribe-souble-optin-email":"You will receive an email shortly, asking you to confirm your subscription.","subscribe_bot_submission":"This doesn't look like a human submission.","subscribe_check_email":"Please check your email to confirm your subscription!","subscribe_email_exists":"This email already exists! 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However, defense lawyers have not received the standard advance...","date":"2009-10-16","customDateline":false,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569267-69400.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569267-69400.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The seven Baha'i prisoners, photographed several months before their arrest, are, in front, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The trial of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders in Iran is scheduled for Sunday. However, defense lawyers have not received the standard advance notification required under Iranian law.\n\n\"It is unclear whether the trial will take place on Sunday, or whether it will be postponed again,\" said Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva.\n\n\"If the trial does not go ahead, the seven Baha'is should be released on bail, as Iranian law requires,\" she said. \"They are completely innocent of the accusations against them and should not have been imprisoned in the first place.\"\n\nMs. Ala'i explained that Iranian law requires that attorneys receive a writ of notification at least two business days before any trial takes place. She noted that Friday is not a business day in Iran,  and since lawyers have not yet received the notice, it may be an indication that the trial will be delayed again.\n\nThe trial for the seven prisoners had originally been scheduled for 18 August. But on 17 August it was postponed to 18 October, after court officials agreed to requests from defense attorneys for more time to prepare, since they had not been given adequate access to the prisoners.\n\nThe seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.\n\nAll but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad. They have been held in Tehran's Evin prison ever since, spending their first year there without formal charges or access to lawyers.\n\nOfficial news agencies in Iran say the seven are accused of \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.\" They also reportedly face charges of \"spreading corruption on earth.\"\n\n\"All of these accusations are absurd and baseless,\" said Ms. Ala'i. \"Take, for example, the idea that they have been spying for Israel. That stems entirely from the fact that the religious and spiritual center of the Baha'i Faith is, through a fact of history, located in Haifa, Israel.\n\n\"Just as a Catholic archbishop is expected to communicate with the Vatican, so it is that these seven – with the knowledge of the Iranian government – communicated with their spiritual center, which happens to be in Israel. There is nothing wrong with that.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Further information"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[List of BWNS articles ](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[History of persecution of Baha'is in Iran – 1844 to present: A short summary](http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Photos](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":732,"evergreenUrl":"secretary-general-un-releases-report-criticizing-human-rights-abuses-iran","title":"Secretary general of UN releases report criticizing human rights abuses in Iran","description":"UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed strong criticism of Iran's human rights record, voicing concern about the use of excessive...","date":"2009-10-15","customDateline":false,"city":"UNITED NATIONS","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569247-73200banki-moon.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569247-73200banki-moon.jpg"},"imageDescription":"UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed strong criticism of Iran's human rights record, voicing concern about the use of excessive force after the recent presidential election, the harassment of women's rights activists, the ongoing execution of juveniles, and the continued persecution of minorities, including Baha'is.\n\nIn a 19-page report written specifically to address a request made last December from the UN General Assembly about human rights in Iran, Mr. Ban said there have been \"negative developments\" in the area of civil and political rights since 2008.\n\nThe year saw \"an increase in human rights violations targeting women, university students, teachers, workers and other activist groups, particularly in the aftermath of the elections,\" Mr. Ban said.\n\n\"Members of various ethnic and minority groups faced harassment, violence and, in some cases, persecution,\" he added, noting that \"a pattern of concern arises with respect to the protection of minorities, including the Baha'i community, the Arab minority in Khuzestan, the Nematollahi Sufi Muslim community, the Kurdish community, the Sunni community, the Baluchi community, and the Azeri-Turk community.\"\n\nThe report made specific mention of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders who were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have since been held in Evin prison, noting that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has written to Iran \"on numerous occasions to express concern and seek clarification\" about the status of the seven.\n\nMr. Ban also noted that during the year reports \"continued to be received about members of the Baha'i community being subjected to arbitrary detention, confiscation of property and denial of employment, government benefits, and access to higher education.\"\n\nThe report, which was dated 23 September 2009 but actually released yesterday, focused extensively on the government's response to post-election protests. It noted that Mr. Ban himself had on 22 June issued a statement \"expressing dismay at the post-election violence, particularly the use of force against civilians, which had led to the loss of life and injuries.\"\n\nThat statement, the report noted, called on the authorities to respect fundamental civil and political rights, especially freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of information. It also called for an immediate stop to the arrests, threats, and use of force. Yet, the report noted, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the following day that he rejected the secretary general's statement.\n\nLike a similar report he issued last year, Mr. Ban also took note of reports of Iran's continuing execution of juveniles, reports of the use of torture, and the oppression of women's rights activists.\n\n\"I encourage the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to address the concerns highlighted in the report and to continue to revise national laws, particularly the new penal code and juvenile justice laws, to ensure compliance with international human rights standards and prevent discriminatory practices against women, ethnic and religious minorities, and other minority groups,\" he said in the report's conclusion.\n\nBani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations said Mr. Ban's report was extremely welcome – and timely.\n\n\"Although Mr. Ban has praised Iran for some developments, such as government's pursuit of the redistribution of wealth and poverty reduction, overall the report is quite damning,\" said Ms. Dugal. \"He also makes a number of suggestions about how Iran could make a constructive response, such as by opening the country to visits by special UN human rights monitors, and we sincerely hope that Iran will heed his call.\n\n\"Mr. Ban paints a grim picture of the situation in Iran, clearly indicating that the human rights situation has worsened since his report last year. Our hope, therefore, is that the UN General Assembly will again adopt a resolution this year urging Iran to live up its international human rights obligations.\"\n\nTo read the full report:\n\n[\"The situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran\"](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/732_secretary_generals_report.pdf)"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Secretary general's report"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[\"The situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran\"](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/732_secretary_generals_report.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 100KB)"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Further information"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[BWNS Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[List of BWNS articles ](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[History of persecution of Baha'is in Iran – 1844 to present: A short summary](http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Photos](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Other BWNS articles about Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":725,"relatedStoryCaption":"Further, efforts to have the accused released on bail have not succeeded."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":724,"relatedStoryCaption":"\"I was very touched by the prime minister's genuine expressions of sympathy and concern.\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":702,"relatedStoryCaption":"\"It is our hope that, for the sanctity of Islam and the honor of Iran, the judiciary will be fair in its judgment.\""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":731,"evergreenUrl":"prominent-iranians-call-religious-liberty","title":"Prominent Iranians call for religious liberty","description":"A best-selling author and an Oscar-nominated actress are among those who have called for religious freedom in Iran, including an end to the persecution...","date":"2009-09-30","customDateline":false,"city":"WASHINGTON","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569232-73100nafisi.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569232-73100nafisi.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Azar Nafisi, author of \"Reading Lolita in Tehran,\" addresses an audience in Washington on the treatment of minorities in Iran. (Photo by Evan Wilder)","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"A best-selling author and an Oscar-nominated actress are among those who have called for religious freedom in Iran, including an end to the persecution of Baha'is in that country.\n\nSome 1,400 people heard Azar Nafisi, author of \"Reading Lolita in Tehran,\" and Shohreh Aghdashloo, Academy Award-nominated actress for \"House of Sand and Fog,\" speak at a public gathering this month at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium. Both Dr. Nafisi and Ms. Aghdashloo were born in Iran, and neither is a member of the Baha'i community.\n\nDr. Nafisi spoke passionately about the common humanity of all people and the suffering of one being the suffering of all. She particularly focused on minorities in Iran and pointed to the example of the Baha'is.\n\n\"I ask myself,\" she said, \"how does it feel to be deprived of every single basic human right in a country you call your own, in a country where you have been born into the language and the culture, a country where your parents and your parents' parents ... have lived and contributed to, what does it mean to be deprived of the right to education, of the right to property, of even the right to life?\"\n\nShe said the struggle is \"not a political struggle, it is an existential one.\" It goes beyond the Baha'is, she said, to \"every single person in Iran who dares to be different, who dares to express his or her desire for the freedom to have a choice.\"\n\n\"Baha'is in Iran have become the canaries in the mine,\" she said. \"You want to know how much freedom the Iranian people enjoy today, you go to the fate of its Baha'is.\"\n\nDepriving people of their individuality is a way of killing them, she said. \"It is worse, in fact, than just being plainly murdered. To deny your humanity, your individuality, is to be dead.\"\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\"The show trials that have been going on in Iran – all these people coming from such different backgrounds, such different ages, such different political and religious beliefs, all of them deprived of their individuality,\" she said.\n\nThe defendants, she said, were forced into confessing that \"whatever they believed in, whatever lifestyle they led ... was a farce and sham. That is another way of killing people.\"\n\nMs. Aghdashloo, addressing the gathering via video from Los Angeles, said everything she had \"ever read or understood about the Baha'i Faith\" is that it stands for the oneness of humanity and inherent nobility of all human beings.\n\n\"I stand with many others around the world in conveying our unified voice in support of the Baha'is in Iran and wish to speak out against the ongoing and deplorable actions of the Iranian government,\" she said.\n\nThe event in Washington, held on 12 September, was dedicated to the Baha'is who are jailed in Iran, including the seven \"leaders\" who have been detained in Tehran's notorious Evin prison for more than a year on trumped-up charges of \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic.\"\n\nIt was one of a number of gatherings held in recent months across the United States to offer prayers for the prisoners, including events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now Washington.\n\nIn San Francisco – at the Herbst Theatre, where the United Nations Charter was signed in 1945 – Dr. Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University, was the principal speaker.\n\n\"For Iran, the treatment of the Baha'is in the last 150 years, our society's acts of omission and commission, what we said and did or failed to say and do, all create an embarrassing blot of shame on our history,\" he said.\n\n\"Iran can't become a democracy unless it has had a full reckoning with its Baha'i problem,\" he said. \"Iran can't be a democracy unless the Baha'is are considered full citizens of the society and their faith – like those of Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, or members of any other faith, belief, or even disbelief – is recognized as a private matter where the state, social institutions, or actors have no right of inquiry, interference, or harassment.\"\n\nIn Washington, one of the speakers was Dwight Bashir, associate director for policy at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.\n\nHe quoted from U.S. President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo earlier this year, directed to the Muslim world: \"People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind and the heart and the soul. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive, but it's being challenged in many different ways. ... Among some Muslims, there's a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of somebody else's faith.\"\n\n\"The last part of President Obama's statement is exactly what we are witnessing in Iran today,\" Dr. Bashir said.\n\nFor a video of Azar Nafisi's talk: http://vimeo.com/6727194\n\nFor Shohreh Aghdashloo's message: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yeb_HDTRkbA\n\nFor Abbas Milani's presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy4vItX1YxI"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569232-73101shohreh.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo spoke by video to the gathering in Washington, saying she stands \"with many others around the world\" in supporting the Iranian Baha'is."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569232-73102drbashir.jpg"},"imageDescription":"\"People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith,\" Dwight Bashir of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom told the gathering in Washington. (Photo by Evan Wilder)"}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":730,"evergreenUrl":"music-arts-highlight-summer-gatherings","title":"Music and the arts a highlight of summer gatherings","description":"Singing was the draw at a festival of choirs in the Congo, while in Venezuela, both plastic arts and music played a key role at the annual Baha'i...","date":"2009-09-29","customDateline":null,"city":"BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE","country":"","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73000drc1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73000drc1.jpg"},"imageDescription":"At a music festival in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some 16 choirs presented original songs about the life of Baha’u’llah and the Bab. The annual event took place in August.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Singing was the draw at a festival of choirs in the Congo, while in Venezuela, both plastic arts and music played a key role at the annual Baha'i summer school.\n\nIn the United Kingdom, the long-running Academy for the Arts gave 300 people the opportunity to focus on art, music, writing, or dance at a summer retreat. And in the United States, renowned Baha'i singer Narges and the Unity Bluegrass Band were among the performers who added an artistic element to the 50th year of the popular Green Lake conference.\n\nAll four events are sponsored by Baha'is and took place in August. Other seasonal events in a host of countries also featured the arts, including an annual Arts Week in both Bulgaria and the Netherlands.\n\nThe choir festival in the **Democratic Republic of the Congo **was the second such gathering since the annual event resumed after a 12-year hiatus caused by war and unrest in the eastern part of the country.\n\n\"Before the war, every year there was the festival,\" said Ahmad Parsa, a resident of neighboring Rwanda who attended part of the three-day event.\n\nSome 16 choirs – mostly youth – presented original songs focusing on the life of Baha'u'llah and of the Bab. Each year, a theme is announced beforehand, and singers prepare new material.\n\nThe event is always in the province of South Kivu, but the exact locale changes. This year it was held in Sange, where local residents gave a warm welcome to the hundreds of festivalgoers and a Christian church allowed use of a property it owned for the venue, Mr. Parsa said.\n\nAt this year's seasonal school in **Venezuela **– held annually at the Baha'i institute in the city of Cabudare – a portion of each day was set aside for arts-related activities.\n\n\"We worked with clay for two days and then made papier mache instruments – tambourines, rain sticks, maracas – the other two days,\" said Nuriyeh McLaren, who helped plan the school.\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\"The last night we had a bonfire, and everybody took the instruments they had made and we sang songs and played them,\" she said. \"One of the nights we also had a talent show, and people sang, danced, did mini-dramas on all different topics – Baha'i themes, cultural themes, taking care of the environment. ...\"\n\nYoungsters aged 11 to 15 had two sessions specifically dedicated to the importance of the arts and how to use them for service to others, she added. \"In general, all the children's classes and pre-youth workshops had an artistic activity of some kind – painting, coloring, dramas, music, pasting, cutting, story-telling.\"\n\nThe theme of the summer school was \"Hoy Te Sumas Tu\" (Today You Join In), which is the title of a song written by one of the Baha'is. \"It was taught and sung during the whole school, and everybody still sings it all over the country,\" Ms. McLaren said.\n\n**Baha'i Academy for the Arts**\n\nIn **England**, the annual Academy for the Arts offered 19 different courses and attracted people from around the world, said Margaret Appa, who has been involved with the event since its founding in 1993.\n\n\"Participants work on one course for the week,\" she said.\n\nOfferings included songwriting, watercolor painting, dance, public speaking, acting, audiovisual production, choir directing (the name of the course was \"Leading a choir when all you can do is sing\"), and drawing. A class on writing, both fiction and nonfiction, was titled \"Write to change the world.\" Three of the 19 classes were designed for youths aged 11 to 16.\n\n\"It's very much a family event,\" she said.\n\nThe Academy for the Arts, which this year was held at Wellington College, Berkshire, is aimed at giving people an environment in which to study an area of the arts and develop their creativity.\n\n\"We work completely by encouragement,\" Mrs. Appa said, \"to be warm and loving, but also to be challenging. We strive for excellence, but one person's excellence is not the same as another person's.\"\n\nParticipants also are treated to a schedule of evening performances, films, and talks by guest speakers – \"something to stretch people,\" Mrs. Appa said.\n\n\"We have discovered over the years that some of the people, during the year, never go to a play, never go to a concert, never go to see a film,\" another of the organizers noted.\n\nThe Academy for the Arts has grown from about 25 participants its first year to this year's 300 – 270 students and 30 tutors and staff members.\n\nIn the **United States**, the annual Green Lake Baha'i Conference in central Wisconsin – always known for its stellar lineup of speakers – this year celebrated its 50th anniversary with outstanding performing artists as well.\n\n\"The Green Lake committee has been superb at elevating the arts,\" noted one conference participant.\n\nThe singer Narges – who has performed at major international venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, and Winston Churchill Hall in London – had appeared previously at Green Lake and returned for the golden anniversary.\n\nA special treat was a presentation by the Unity Bluegrass Band, an ensemble that had been popular in the Chicago area back in the 1970s and 1980s and had played at Green Lake once before, in 1977.\n\n\"They had not been together in 20 years, and they had a reunion there and performed to a very appreciative crowd,\" said Ellen Price, who was in the audience. \"People were up on their feet, dancing to the music.\"\n\nPerformances were offered both on the main stage at the conference and at a coffee house. Among the presenters were the singer-musician Alessandro and two women who performed an original drama by Beth Carrier about events following the martyrdom of the Bab in 1850."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950684-73001ven1.jpg"},"imageDescription":"At the Baha’i summer school in Venezuela, young Key Aray joins in during a creative art project. Arts and music were part of the program each day for all age groups."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73002ven2.jpg"},"imageDescription":"In Venezuela, papier mache was the focus at one of the arts sessions at the summer school held each year at the Baha’i institute in Cabudare, near Barquisimeto. From left are Nohely Mendoza, Ali Morales, Lila Iguaran, Paola Alarcon, and Mariana Flores."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950684-73003ven3.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Thomas Woodard wrote the song “Hoy Te Sumas Tu” (Today You Join In), which became the theme of this year’s Venezuelan Baha’i summer school. Here he performs at the school with his wife, Elizabeth Calderin."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73004drc2.jpg"},"imageDescription":"In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the annual music festival in South Kivu resumed last year after a 12-year hiatus because of war and unrest. Hundreds of people made their way to Sange for the event."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950686-73005uk1.jpg"},"imageDescription":"In the United Kingdom, the weeklong Baha'i Academy for the Arts attracted some 300 people. Here, students from the “Communicating With Ease” course demonstrate one of the exercises that helped boost their confidence in public speaking."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73006uk2.jpg"},"imageDescription":"At the Academy for the Arts in England, youth explore spiritual capacities using words and monoprinting. This particular course, called \"Drawing Inspiration,\" was designed for 11- and 12-year-olds."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73007uk3.jpg"},"imageDescription":"\"Write to Change the World\" is the name of this course at the Baha’i Academy for the Arts in the U.K., held in August at Wellington College in Berkshire."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73008greenlake1.jpg"},"imageDescription":"On the first night of the Green Lake Baha’i Conference in the United States, the Hua Mulan Dance Troupe performs. The conference, held annually in central Wisconsin, marked its 50th anniversary this year. (Green Lake photos by Nancy Wong)"},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73009greenlake2.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The well-known Baha’i vocalist Narges sings for the thousand people in the audience at the Green Lake conference in the United States."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543950685-73010greenlake3.jpg"},"imageDescription":"At the Green Lake conference, the Unity Bluegrass Band brought down the house as members performed together for the first time in more than two decades. Enthusiastic listeners brought them back for several impromptu encores during the weekend."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":729,"evergreenUrl":"ethics-are-missing-dimension-climate-debate-says-ipcc-head","title":"Ethics are 'missing dimension' in climate debate, says IPCC head","description":"The inequities and injustices that are likely to occur on a global level because of climate change mean that world leaders must carefully examine...","date":"2009-09-23","customDateline":false,"city":"NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569049-72900pachauri.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569049-72900pachauri.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Rajendra K. Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said the effects of climate change will be \"inequitable, unequal, and severe in many parts of the world.\" He spoke at Baha'i offices in New York on 23 September.","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The inequities and injustices that are likely to occur on a global level because of climate change mean that world leaders must carefully examine the moral and ethical dimensions of global warming, said Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.\n\n\"The impacts of climate change are going to be inequitable, unequal, and severe in many parts of the world,\" said Dr. Pachauri, who spoke today at a breakfast meeting at the Baha'i International Community offices.\n\n\"We have to think at a much higher level. And I think this is where ethics comes in so critically as the missing dimension in this debate,\" he said.\n\nDr. Pachauri's comments came at the official launch of an appeal, directed at world leaders gathered at this week's UN Summit on Climate Change, to emphasize the importance of the moral and ethical dimensions of global warming and its impact in their deliberations.\n\nThe appeal was drafted by the Baha'i International Community and has been signed by 25 nongovernmental organizations, religious groups, and policy institutes. The document calls on world leaders to \"consider deeply the ethical and moral questions at the root of the climate change crisis.\"\n\n\"The quest for climate justice is not a competition for limited resources but part of an unfolding process towards greater degrees of unity among nations as they endeavor to build a sustainable, just and peaceful civilization,\" the appeal states.\n\nTahirih Naylor, a Baha'i representative to the United Nations, said the purpose of the document is to call attention to the fact that climate change is more than a political, economic and scientific problem.\n\n\"There is a moral and ethical dimension to climate change that must be addressed,\" said Ms. Naylor. \"For example, we know that wealthy nations have contributed more to climate problems than the poor nations, and so there is an element of justice that must be considered in any long-term solution.\"\n\nDr. Pachauri said that while science can provide the building blocks for understanding the impact and likelihood of climate change, it will be important for citizens groups and individuals to provide the motivation for action.\n\n\"I feel you really cannot rely on the leaders, you really cannot rely on the nation states,\" he said. \"You really need a groundswell of grassroots action and grassroots consciousness on what needs to be done. If that is happening, then leaders will follow.\"\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"He encouraged the representatives of civil society gathered for the breakfast meeting to continue to work to keep the moral and ethical issues front and center in the climate debate.\n\n\"You have to persevere and persist,\" he said. \"If you do, you certainly will be able to change the nature of the debate.\"\n\nHe said, especially, that the long term impact of climate change on future generations must be taken into account. \"Ethics demands that action has to be taken early,\" he said.\n\nDr. Pachauri also said he expects that whatever its outcome, the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December is unlikely to be the final word on the subject.\n\n\"When the IPCC's fifth assessment comes out in 2013 or 2014, there will be a major revival of interest in action that has to be taken,\" said Dr. Pachauri, speaking of the periodic assessments rendered by the group of more than 400 scientists around the world that he leads. \"People are going to say, 'My God, we are going to have to take action much faster than we had planned.'\"\n\nAs chairman of the IPCC, Dr. Pachauri accepted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded jointly to the IPCC and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore for their work in warning of the potential impact of global warming.\n\nAmong the organizations that have signed the appeal are the International Peace Research Association, Oxfam International, Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries, Solar Cookers International, Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural (WOCAN), and the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).\n\nThe document presented today is titled \"Moral and Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change: Appeal to World Leaders.\" The text follows:\n\n*We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, leaders of the world's religions, and other members of civil society, urge the governments of the world to participate in the UN High Level Event on Climate Change through representatives at the highest level and unequivocally call on them to: *\n\n*– Consider deeply the ethical and moral questions at the root of the climate change crisis-questions of justice and equity that will determine the survival of cultures, ecosystems, and present as well as future generations; *\n\n*– Recognize that the quest for climate justice is not a competition for limited resources but part of an unfolding process towards greater degrees of unity among nations as they endeavor to build a sustainable, just and peaceful civilization;*\n\n*– Distinguish their contributions to this High-Level Event by demonstrating trust, justice, solidarity, and a vision of prosperity for the most vulnerable populations;*\n\n*– Demonstrate courage and moral leadership as they articulate the vision and secure the foundations for a comprehensive and legally binding agreement during the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCC and the 5th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in December 2009; and *\n\n*– Ensure that commitments in all arenas of the climate change challenge are guided by ethical and moral considerations so as to inspire the trust and confidence of individuals, communities and institutions to effect the changes needed to build a sustainable civilization. *\n\n*We call on the gathered leaders to summon the same spirit and sense of urgency that led to the creation of the United Nations, to forge a climate change agreement worthy of the trust of humankind.*\n\n*Baha'i International Community,*\n\n*Company of the Daughters of Charity of  St. Vincent de Paul,*\n\n*Congregation of Notre Dame,*\n\n*The Congregations of St. Joseph,*\n\n*The Fellowship of Reconciliation,*\n\n*Franciscans International,*\n\n*GRATIS Foundation,*\n\n*Initiatives of Change International,*\n\n*International Peace Research Association,*\n\n*International Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation,*\n\n*International Public Policy Institute,*\n\n*International Women's Anthropology Conference,*\n\n*Loretto Community,*\n\n*Oxfam International,*\n\n*Passionists International,*\n\n*School Sisters of Notre Dame,*\n\n*Sisters of Charity Federation,*\n\n*Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur,*\n\n*Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries,*\n\n*Solar Cookers International,*\n\n*SustainUS,*\n\n*UNANIMA International,*\n\n*WEDO,*\n\n*WOCAN*"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569055-72901pachauri.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Dr. Pachauri called for a \"groundswell of grassroots action\" on what needs to be done to address the challenge of global warming. He spoke in New York as world leaders were gathering at the United Nations."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Appeal to world leaders"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[\"Moral and Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change\"](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/729_Ethical_Dimensions_Appeal_for_High_Level_Event.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 18KB) "}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":728,"evergreenUrl":"conference-religion-joins-with-science-address-environment-issues","title":"Conference: Religion joins with science to address environment issues","description":"People’s spiritual beliefs affect their attitude toward climate change, with religious groups increasingly helping to frame humanity’s response...","date":"2009-09-17","customDateline":null,"city":"WASHINGTON","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569029-72800peterbrown.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569029-72800peterbrown.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Peter G. Brown of McGill University discusses building a whole earth economy based on a \"right relationship\" between humans and their environment. He addressed the annual conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies on 14 August 2009 in Washington. (Photos by Evan Wilder)","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"People’s spiritual beliefs affect their attitude toward climate change, with religious groups increasingly helping to frame humanity’s response to environmental issues.\n\nThat was one of the messages from a session at the 33rd annual conference of the  Association for Baha’i Studies, held in mid-August in Washington, D.C. The gathering drew nearly 1,000 participants from some 20 countries.\n\nThe theme of the conference was “Environments,” and one of the plenary speakers was Peter G. Brown, a geography professor at McGill University in Montreal who has participated in the Moral Economy Project of the Quaker Institute for the Future.\n\nDr. Brown said the current economic paradigm is bringing mayhem to the planet and that people need to learn to think of themselves as citizens, not consumers.\n\n“We need a different image of ourselves,” he said − an image that sees humanity as part of a long “co-evolutionary” process. Rather than asking how to better exploit the earth's resources, humanity should be asking how to live with an ethic of respect and reciprocity for all life, he said.\n\nSociety’s concept of morality is too limited, he continued, suggesting that a moral framework must be applied to systems, not just to individuals.\n\n“We have not been able to connect our scientific knowledge with our moral systems,” he noted.\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"A Baha'i speaker, Peter Adriance, described how religious groups and faith communities are increasingly collaborating with the environmental movement. He quoted Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-founder of the Forum on Religion and Ecology, as saying that “no other group of institutions can wield the particular moral authority of the religions.”\n\nMr. Adriance listed a dozen initiatives by various groups that focus on spiritual or moral aspects of creating a sustainable environment. Among those that he mentioned were:\n\n-- A first-of-its-type report from the Sierra Club titled \"Faith in Action: Communities of Faith Bring Hope for the Planet.\"\n\n-- Programs sponsored by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.\n\n-- A paper from the Worldwatch Institute titled “Engaging Religion in the Quest for a Sustainable World”; part of the text was included in the 2003 State of the World report.\n\n-- The Green Sanctuary program initiated by the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth.\n\nHe quoted Gus Speth from the 2007 Yale Conference Report: “Religions played key roles in ending slavery, in the civil rights movement, and in overcoming apartheid in South Africa, and they are now turning attention with increasing strength to the environment.”\n\nMr. Adriance also quoted from a 1991 statement by the Baha’i International Community calling for a spiritual response to address global problems: “The changes required to reorient the world toward a sustainable future imply degrees of sacrifice, social integration, selfless action, and unity of purpose rarely achieved in human history. These qualities have reached their highest degree of development through the power of religion.”\n\nThis year’s conference of the Association for Baha’i Studies (North American chapter) was held from 13-16 August, concurrently with the annual meeting of the International Environmental Forum, a Baha’i-inspired organization addressing the environment and sustainable development.\n\nArthur Dahl gave the opening address and said that the conference theme of “Environments” would explore the relationship “between our outer and inner environments, between the planet and our souls, between science and spirituality.”\n\n“We still look at economic issues separately from social or environment questions despite all the efforts to integrate them,” said Dr. Dahl, who is president of  the International Environment Forum and a former official with the United Nations Environment Program.\n\nSpeaking to an audience that included many scientists, he warned of the “spiritual danger in the pride to think that we can know everything through science.”\n\nScience uncovers facts, he noted, and he gave the example of science proving that smoking causes lung cancer. But science is powerless to change behavior − what changes behavior is spiritual and cultural transformation, he said.\n\n**Balyuzi lecture**\n\nA highlight of the conference was the Balyuzi Memorial Lecture by Canadian artist Otto Don Rogers, said Kim Naqvi, one of the organizers of the gathering. Works by Mr. Rogers hang in a number of museums – among them the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.\n\n“He challenged the community to consider the arts as both an intellectual and spiritual endeavor,” said Dr. Naqvi.\n\nMr. Rogers explored the concept of space and said even scientists do not understand it very well; in the past it was sometimes referred to as the “ether.”\n\nCezanne, he noted, was one of the first painters to leave gaps − spaces − in his paintings, making it possible for the mind to move into his works. “Space is not simply a curtain that hangs behind everything, physicists have found, but it has an intelligence and form,” he said.\n\n“Recent research on brain function has revealed interesting insights,” he continued. “Physicists had thought that the brain’s some two billion neurons are connected in one long string. Yet now, with the development of high-powered microscopes, they have discovered that each neuron is bonded by its own memory. One cluster of neurons is bound to another by some type of memory, but they do not touch.”\n\nHe said scientists have concluded that the synapses between cells are the secret sites of communication. Likewise, he said, a painting is about the space between things, the way the dark relates to the light, the fast to the slow, stillness to motion, and all happening simultaneously.\n\nHe arranged for images of eight of his most recent works to be projected on huge screens during the address, and he encouraged the audience to “appreciate the static.”\n\n“We artists wonder,” he said, “at viewers who read the title of a work, spend a few seconds, and then move on.”\n\nMore information about the conference is available from the [Canadian Baha’i News Service](http://www.bahainews.ca/en/090831-abs) and from the [International Environmental Forum](http://iefconf2009.wordpress.com/program/).\n\n*(Julia Berger, Sandra Blaine, and Parvin Rowhani contributed to this article.)*"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569028-72801ottodonrogers.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Artist Otto Don Rogers of Canada delivers the Balyuzi Memorial Lecture, focusing on the arts as a spiritual endeavor. He spoke on 15 August 2009 in Washington."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Previous articles about climate change"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":482,"relatedStoryCaption":"\"Problems won't be solved by any one actor.\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":678,"relatedStoryCaption":"Search for solutions reveals limits of technology."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":530,"relatedStoryCaption":"\"If sea levels rise ..., we may see hundreds of millions of refugees.\""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":727,"evergreenUrl":"trial-seven-imprisoned-bahai-leaders-postponed","title":"Trial of seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders postponed","description":"The trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran has been postponed until 18 October, the Baha'i International Community learned today. According...","date":"2009-08-17","customDateline":null,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The trial of seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran has been postponed until 18 October, the Baha'i International Community learned today.\n\nAccording to Diane Ala'i, the Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva, following a request for postponement of the trial from Mr. Hadi Esmaielzadeh and Ms. Mahnaz Parakand – attorneys from the Defenders of Human Rights Center who are representing the seven Baha'is – the court has decided to delay the hearing for two months.\n\nTwo senior members of the legal team, Nobel laureate Mrs. Shirin Ebadi and Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, were unable to attend the hearing as Mrs. Ebadi is out of the country and Mr. Soltani is in prison, having been detained on 16 June 2009 in the wake of the civil unrest following the presidential election in Iran.\n\n\"Our hope now is that our seven innocent co-religionists will be released on bail,\" said Ms. Ala'i.\n\nThe seven Baha'i prisoners are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad. They have since been held at Tehran’s Evin prison without formal charges or access to their lawyers.\n\nOfficial Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic.\"\n\nThe Baha'i International Community categorically rejects all charges against the seven, stating that they are held solely because of religious persecution."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Background"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Other BWNS articles about Iran](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[History of persecution of Baha'is in Iran – 1844 to present: A short summary](http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Photos](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Earlier articles about the Baha’is in Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":725,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":702,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":695,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":726,"evergreenUrl":"first-identification-cards-issued-egyptian-bahais-using-dash-instead-religion","title":"First identification cards issued to Egyptian Baha'is using a \"dash\" instead of religion","description":"Two young Baha'is at the center of a court case over religious identification on government documents have received new computerized ID cards...","date":"2009-08-14","customDateline":null,"city":"CAIRO","country":"EGYPT","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569004-72600emadid0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569004-72600emadid0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Official Egyptian national identification card issued to Imad Rauf Hindi on 8 August 2009, showing a \"dash\" on the back in the field reserved for religious affiliation.","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Two young Baha'is at the center of a court case over religious identification on government documents have received new computerized ID cards showing a \"dash\" instead of their religion.\n\nImad and Nancy Rauf Hindi received the new cards on 8 August 2009. They are the first such cards to be issued following a ruling by the Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court that cleared the way for the government to issue documents without reference to religious identity.\n\n\"We welcome this development and are now hopeful that the Egyptian government will begin granting more identification cards and related documents to Baha'is and others,\" said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community.\n\nFor nearly five years, since the government began introducing a computerized identity card system that locked out all religious classifications except Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, Baha'is have been unable to get ID cards and other documents essential to day-to-day life in Egypt.\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In April 2006, a lower administrative court upheld the right of Baha'is to be explicitly identified on official documents. But in December that year, the Supreme Administrative Court reversed that decision.\n\nIt was proposed that a dash or the word \"other\" be used on documents, instead of the Baha'is being forced to list themselves as Muslim, Christian, or Jewish. That case specifically involved the 16-year-old Rauf Hindi twins, who had been unable to attend school in Egypt for lack of proper documents.\n\nOn 29 January 2008, a lower court again ruled in their favor. But then two Muslim lawyers filed an appeal.\n\nOn 16 March 2009, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected the appeal and the Ministry of Interior soon after that issued a decree specifying that individuals can now obtain government documents without identifying themselves as belonging to a particular religion."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543569000-72601nancyid0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Official Egyptian national identification card issued to Nancy Rauf Hindi on 8 August 2009, showing a \"dash\" on the back in the field reserved for religious affiliation."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":725,"evergreenUrl":"due-process-ignored-trial-date-is-set-iranian-bahai-prisoners","title":"Due process ignored as trial date is set for Iranian Baha'i prisoners","description":"In yet another example of the denial to Baha’is in Iran of their rights to justice, including due process, judicial officials have reportedly...","date":"2009-08-12","customDateline":false,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568971-72500yaranwithspouses.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568971-72500yaranwithspouses.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The seven Baha'i “leaders,” with spouses, before their imprisonment.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"In yet another example of the denial to Baha’is in Iran of their rights to justice, including due process, judicial officials have reportedly set next Tuesday as the trial date for seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders – despite the fact that the lead lawyers registered with the court to represent them are either in prison or outside the country.\n\nFurther, efforts to have the accused released on bail have not succeeded. The investigation against them was concluded months ago but they remain incarcerated, without access to their legal counsel and with only the barest minimum contact with their families – contact that did not begin until some five months’ after their arrest, when they were finally taken out of solitary confinement.\n\nAuthorities recently sent to Abdolfattah Soltani, a key member of the legal team representing the seven Baha’is who is himself currently imprisoned in Evin prison, a notice saying that 18 August has been set as the trial date for the seven Baha’is. Dated 15 July, the writ of notification for the seven gives 9 a.m., 18 August, as the date for the trial, in Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. That is the same court that tried Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.\n\nThe writ of notification giving 18 August as the trial date was specifically addressed to Mr. Soltani, a well-known human rights lawyer and a principal of the Tehran-based Defenders of Human Rights Center, which was founded by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi and has since last year undertaken to defend the seven Baha’is.\n\nMeanwhile, Mrs. Ebadi, the senior member of the legal team, remains outside the country.\n\n“The judiciary’s decision to schedule the trial under these circumstances is an effrontery and yet another tactic aimed at depriving the seven Baha’i leaders of competent legal counsel,” said Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva.\n\n“The Iranian authorities know full well who is serving as legal counsel for the Baha’is. Indeed, authorities have several times tried to pressure the seven to change lawyers.\n\n“It is the height of absurdity to issue a trial notice to a lawyer who has himself been unjustly imprisoned,” she said.\n\n“The willingness of Iran’s judiciary to flout the most fundamental internationally accepted norms of jurisprudence were brought to light in the widespread publicity attending the trial of Roxana Saberi.\n\n“More recently, the attention of the world has been focused on the show trial of scores of individuals arrested in post-election turmoil in Iran, also without due process and which has included ‘confessions’ that were clearly coerced through torture,” said Ms. Ala’i.\n\nThe Baha’i International Community has called for the human rights of all the people of Iran to be respected and upheld. “Today, then, we raise the call on behalf of our innocent co-religionists, whose only ‘crime’ is their religious belief, and who face the most severe punishments if they are found guilty of the trumped-up charges against them.\n\n“Instead of going on trial, they should be immediately released on bail, and, at the very least, be given adequate time for their attorneys to prepare a defense,” said Ms. Ala’i.\n\nMs. Ala’i also said that the 18 August trial date could not be taken as firm, noting that the families of the seven had been told in June they were to be tried on 11 July, only to have that date come and go.\n\n“Given the past history of this case, the utter lack of concern for procedure on the part of authorities, and the current situation in Iran, it is simply not possible to know when the proceedings will actually begin,” she said.\n\nThe seven Baha’i prisoners are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad. They have since been held without formal charges or access to their lawyers at Evin prison in Tehran.\n\nOfficial Iranian news accounts have said the seven are to be accused of \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic,” charges that are rejected completely and categorically.\n\nThe ongoing imprisonment of the seven and pending trial is particularly alarming because of their leadership position as the former members of a national-level coordinating group known as the \"Friends in Iran.\" Some 25 years ago, other Baha’i leaders were executed after being rounded up in a manner similar to the way in which these seven were arrested last year."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Background"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Other BWNS articles about Iran](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[History of persecution of Baha'is in Iran – 1844 to present: A short summary](http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Photos](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Other articles about the Baha’is in Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":724,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":702,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":695,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":724,"evergreenUrl":"british-bahais-meet-with-prime-minister-brown-iran-concerns","title":"British Baha'is meet with Prime Minister Brown on Iran concerns","description":"British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met this week with members of the U.K. Baha'i community and underlined his government's concern over the...","date":"2009-07-16","customDateline":null,"city":"LONDON","country":"ENGLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met this week with members of the U.K. Baha'i community and underlined his government's concern over the seven Baha'i leaders being detained in Iran.\n\nMr. Lembit Opik, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Baha'is group, accompanied three Baha'i representatives to the meeting, held yesterday at the prime minister's office in the Houses of Parliament.\n\nOne of the Baha'is, Mrs. Bahar Tahzib – originally from Iran but now living in England – shared with Mr. Brown her first-hand experience of religious persecution. Her father was executed in Iran in June 1980 for being a Baha'i, and her uncle, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, is one of the seven Baha'i leaders arrested in the spring of 2008 and jailed since then in Evin prison in Tehran.\n\nCharges against the seven have been reported in government-controlled mass media as \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic\" – accusations the Baha'i International Community categorically denies. No formal charges have been filed, however, and the seven Baha'is have had no access to attorneys.\n\nFamilies of the prisoners had been informed that there would be a trial this past week, but now the families reportedly have been told there is a delay. No new trial date has been given.\n\nBefore their arrest, the prisoners were members of an informal committee looking after the affairs of Iran's 300,000-member Baha'i community, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority. At least 30 Baha'is are currently being held in Iranian prisons because of their religion.\n\n\"I was very touched by the prime minister's genuine expressions of sympathy and concern,\" Mrs. Tahzib said after yesterday's meeting with Mr. Brown.\n\n\"My uncle is 75 years old, and he is being kept in unsuitable conditions for more than a year,\" Mrs. Tahzib said she told the prime minister. \"This is clearly a cause of great concern for the family, and their wish is for a fair trial.\"\n\nMr. Opik noted that recent events in Iran have shown the world the methods – including manipulating the judiciary process – that the Iranian government uses to impose its will.\n\n\"The examples of the case of Roxana Saberi, the protesters picked up on the streets, in their homes and hospital beds, and the arrests of foreign and domestic journalists, among others, illustrate a pattern of arbitrary arrest, coercion, false confessions, baseless charges, and summary judgments,\" he said.\n\nThe other Baha'is who met with Prime Minister Brown were Dr. Kishan Manocha, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United Kingdom, and Mr. Barney Leith, director of diplomatic relations for the U.K. Baha'i community."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Background"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Other BWNS articles about Iran](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[History of persecution of Baha'is in Iran – 1844 to present: A short summary](http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Photos](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/photos.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Other stories about the Baha'is in Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":723,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":720,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":702,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":723,"evergreenUrl":"trial-seven-bahai-leaders-reportedly-delayed","title":"Trial for seven Baha'i leaders reportedly delayed","description":"Iranian officials have reportedly told families of the seven Baha'i leaders currently held in Evin prison in Tehran that their trial has been...","date":"2009-07-13","customDateline":false,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568953-69900.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568953-69900.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The group of seven Baha'is whose trial had reportedly been scheduled for 11 July 2009 and now apparently has been postponed are, top from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, and Mahvash Sabet; bottom from left, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Saeid Rezaie, and Afif Naeimi.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Iranian officials have reportedly told families of the seven Baha'i leaders currently held in Evin prison in Tehran that their trial has been delayed. No new trial date was given.\n\nHeld for more than a year, the seven were reportedly to have been tried on Saturday, although this information, too, was based on oral reports from officials, and such reports have often been unreliable in the past.\n\nThe seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held more than a year without formal charges or access to their attorneys. Official Iranian news reports have said the Baha'is will be accused of \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.\"\n\nThe seven are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm. All but one of the group were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad.\n\nThe Baha'i International Community has repeatedly said that the seven are being held solely because of their religious beliefs, calling for their immediate release.\n\nSuch appeals for the release of the seven have been echoed by governments and human rights groups around the world. On Friday, Amnesty International issued a press release calling on Iranian authorities to release the seven. On Thursday, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, responding to a letter from Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist who spent almost four months in an Iranian cell, likewise urged the release of the seven. Also on Thursday, European Parliament member Angelika Beer, speaking on behalf of the Parliament's delegation for Iran, called for the release of the seven, or, at the least, urged that any trial be free, fair and open."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Other articles about the Baha'is in Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":720,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":695,"relatedStoryCaption":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":697,"relatedStoryCaption":""}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":722,"evergreenUrl":"ethics-heart-economic-crisis-says-ebbf","title":"Ethics at heart of economic crisis, says EBBF","description":"Any response to the world economic crisis must address ethics, given that the crisis is \"fundamentally one of trust and integrity,\" the European...","date":"2009-07-06","customDateline":null,"city":"GENEVA","country":"SWITZERLAND","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Any response to the world economic crisis must address ethics, given that the crisis is \"fundamentally one of trust and integrity,\" the European Baha'i Business Forum said in a statement published last week.\n\nFurthermore, the situation requires an ethical response \"at all levels\" – from individuals, from corporations, and from governments and regulatory entities, said the statement, released as some 400 representatives from dozens of countries and organizations gathered in Geneva for a two-day Global Ethics Forum.\n\nAs people reshape their thinking, certain principles must be considered, said the EBBF.\n\n\"We need to replace the concept of self-centered materialism with that of service to humanity,\" the EBBF said. Cooperation must replace competition, the statement continued; ethical behavior must replace corruption, gender balance must replace sexism, world unity must replace protectionism, justice must replace injustice.\n\n\"EBBF promotes and welcomes engagement with the widest possible community to develop together the new framework,\" the statement said.\n\n\"We call on peoples from all businesses, countries, and walks of life to work together to build a new economic system based upon equity and justice,\" it concluded.\n\nMore than 20 members of the European Baha'i Business Forum participated in the Global Ethics Forum, held 2-3 July at United Nations headquarters in Geneva.\n\nEBBF issued the statement in an effort to contribute to new ways of thinking that will help companies and countries develop new models as they navigate the current crisis.\n\n\"There is a growing need for alternatives,\" said Daniel Truran, secretary general of the EBBF. \"People are thirsty for a different way of working and of conducting their organizations.\n\n\"In times of crisis, the search for the 'right' way forward – a direction that was not the one that got us into this crisis – is stronger than ever,\" he said.\n\nThe European Baha'i Business Forum was founded in 1990 and now has nearly 400 members in some 60 countries.\n\nAmong its activities, the EBBF:\n\n– organizes or participates in more than 250 events a year at the local, national, or international level;\n\n– designs university and postgraduate courses for young professionals, particularly those who are concerned about being confronted with a business environment that conflicts with their own ideals and values;\n\n– publishes materials to offer ideas and background to its members and others, and posts online interviews with individuals who are trying to practice values-based leadership in their work.\n\nThe organization lists its seven core values as ethical business practices, social responsibility in business, values-based leadership, sustainable development, a new paradigm of work, partnership of women and men in all fields of endeavor, and nonadversarial decision-making through consultation.\n\nThe EBBF Web address is http://ebbf.org"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"\"An Ethical Perspective on Today's Economic Crisis\""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[EBBF Statement](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/722_EBBFBoardStatementJune2009.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 90KB) "}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":721,"evergreenUrl":"german-town-marks-700-year-anniversary-with-programs-bahai-temple","title":"German town marks 700-year anniversary with programs at Baha'i temple","description":"The European Baha’i House of Worship – the most prominent landmark in a wide area around Langenhain – was the site of events this month celebrating...","date":"2009-06-29","customDateline":false,"city":"LANGENHAIN","country":"GERMANY","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568416-72100langenhainchoir.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568416-72100langenhainchoir.jpg"},"imageDescription":"After the devotional at the Baha'i House of Worship in Langenhain, singers walked to the nearby Baha'i center for a second program (shown here) where both the Langenhain and Baha'i choirs again performed for the townspeople.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The European Baha’i House of Worship – the most prominent landmark in a wide area around Langenhain – was the site of events this month celebrating the 700-year anniversary of the village.\n\nThe mayor of Hofheim, of which Langenhain is a part, and more than 300 townspeople gathered at the temple where a choir from Langenhain sang Christian psalms, alternating with works performed by the national Baha’i choir.\n\nThe program culminated with the choirs joining together to sing words of Baha’u’llah set to music from Mozart.\n\n“From the very first sound, everyone could feel that it was something extraordinary,” one of the Baha’is said of the finale. “The very special, prayerful atmosphere lasted a long time – nobody spoke or applauded.”\n\nThe event was followed by a second program – a “musical matinee” – at the nearby Baha’i center where the choirs again sang for the hundreds of visitors. Both programs took place on 1 June and were attended by local officials as well as representatives of the Protestant and Catholic churches.\n\nSeveral of the Langenhain chorus members commented that they had long wanted to sing at the Baha’i House of Worship.\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"“It was a great joy for us,” choir conductor Andrea Post said. Her group of about 30 singers actually comprised two choirs that joined forces for the special events – the New Langenhain Choir and a local traditional choir that was founded in 1844.\n\nAnniversary events in the village of Langenhain will continue for several months. The weekend of 29 May to 1 June included many activities, among them an ecumenical service at the local Protestant church, a historical landmark dating back to 1748.\n\nThe European Baha’i House of Worship, visited by about 25,000 people each year, opened in 1964. It is one of seven such Baha’i temples around the world.\n\nThe village of Langenhain, which was annexed to Hofheim in 1972, today has a population of 3,200 people. It is located about 25 kilometers west of Frankfurt."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568415-72101temple.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Several Langenhain choir members said they had long wanted to sing at the European Baha'i House of Worship, located in their village. They finally had the opportunity at an event celebrating the 700 years of Langenhain."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"houses_of_worship"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":720,"evergreenUrl":"the-universal-house-justice-addresses-message-bahais-iran","title":"The Universal House of Justice addresses a message to the Baha’is of Iran","description":"The Universal House of Justice has addressed the following message dated 23 June 2009 to the Baha’is of Iran in light of recent events in that...","date":"2009-06-26","customDateline":null,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Universal House of Justice has addressed the following message dated 23 June 2009 to the Baha’is of Iran in light of recent events in that country:\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ManualContentRecord","inlineHtml":"<center>*&nbsp;&nbsp;*&nbsp;&nbsp;*</center>"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"\n23 June 2009\n\nTo the Bahá’ís of Iran\n\nDearly loved Friends,\n\nWith hearts grieved by events unfolding in Iran, we address this letter to you, the steadfast followers of Bahá’u’lláh in that land. To the concern for your safety that has long weighed on us is now added mounting fear for the safety of millions of Iranian men and women, so many of them at the pinnacle of their youth, their vast potentialities yearning to be realized. How rapidly have veils been rent asunder! Cruelty meted out in calculated measures to you and others over the years has been unleashed in the streets of Iran for all humanity to see. No matter what the turn of events, we are confident you will adhere firmly to the fundamental principle of our Faith that strictly prohibits any involvement in partisan political activity by individual Bahá’ís or by Bahá’í institutions. Yet you cannot remain aloof and insensitive to the suffering of your people. Decades of hardship have prepared each of you to stand as a beacon of strength in the circle of your family and friends, your neighbours and acquaintances, radiating hope and compassion to all those in need. Keep alive in your hearts the feeling of confidence that the future of Iran holds bright promise, the certitude that the light of knowledge will inevitably dispel the clouds of ignorance, the conviction that concern for justice will protect the nation from falling prey to calumny, and the belief that love will ultimately conquer hatred and enmity. You have demonstrated in the example of your lives that the proper response to oppression is neither to succumb in resignation nor to take on the characteristics of the oppressor. The victim of oppression can transcend it through an inner strength that shields the soul from bitterness and hatred and which sustains consistent, principled action. May the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá resound: “Iran shall become a focal centre of divine splendours. Her darksome soil will become luminous and her land will shine resplendent.” You and your compatriots are in our continued prayers.\n\nThe Universal House of Justice"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"In original PDF format"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[English](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/720_english.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 54KB) "},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[Persian](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/720_persian.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 41KB) "}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":719,"evergreenUrl":"reports-trial-date-bahai-leaders-falsely-accused-espionage","title":"Reports of a trial date for Baha'i leaders falsely accused of espionage","description":"According to information conveyed by the authorities in Evin prison to the family members of the seven Baha'is who have been imprisoned in Tehran,...","date":"2009-06-24","customDateline":false,"city":"BIC NEW YORK","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1687959778-bwns-default-missing-image-endslate-still-8-1-1.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"According to information conveyed by the authorities in Evin prison to the family members of the seven Baha'is who have been imprisoned in Tehran, Iran, for over a year, their trial date has been set for 11 July 2009. This information has been provided to the family members only orally and, as information conveyed by officials concerning the judicial process has often proved unreliable, it is possible that the Iranian authorities may find some reason to change the trial date.\n\nThe seven were arrested in the spring of 2008 and have been held more than a year without formal charges or access to their attorneys. Official Iranian news reports have said the Baha'is will be accused of \"espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.\"\n\nThe trial is apparently scheduled to be held at Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court. This is where American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was recently convicted of espionage and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. She was eventually released, but only after an international outcry at the clear politicization of the case and manifestly unjust legal procedures.\n\n\"These seven individuals are facing completely false charges,\" said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. \"They - along with the some 30 other Baha'is currently in prison in Iran - are innocent of any wrongdoing and are being held solely because of their religious beliefs.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[{"tagName":"defence"}],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":718,"evergreenUrl":"jazz-singer-tierney-sutton-takes-spiritual-look-desire","title":"Jazz singer Tierney Sutton takes a spiritual look at 'Desire'","description":"Tierney Sutton is hardly alone among jazz vocalists in trying to bring a spiritual dimension to her music. But lining up jazz standards with...","date":"2009-06-14","customDateline":null,"city":"LOS ANGELES","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568392-71800006.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568392-71800006.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Tierney Sutton has just released her eighth album. Two of the tracks include passages from \"The Hidden Words\" of Baha'u'llah.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Tierney Sutton is hardly alone among jazz vocalists in trying to bring a spiritual dimension to her music. But lining up jazz standards with the sacred writings of the Baha'i Faith takes the idea a step further, says Britain's Daily Express in a review of her new album.\n\nThe disc, called \"Desire,\" features 11 well-known songs and has been garnering rave reviews since its release earlier this year. The first and last tracks – \"It's Only a Paper Moon\" and \"Skylark\" – are introduced by spoken extracts from *The Hidden Words,* a work by Baha'u'llah that states spiritual truths common to religion throughout the ages.\n\nMs. Sutton's new album – her eighth – \"comes across as a powerful, even spiritual, musical statement about the nature of human desire, both good and bad,\" says one online review.\n\n\"Material things that we want or desire are not usually a path to happiness,\" Ms. Sutton explains, \"and are not usually a path to ourselves.\"\n\nA member of the Baha'i Faith since the age of 18, she has emerged as one of the outstanding jazz singers of the past decade – \"a serious jazz artist who takes the whole enterprise to another level,\" said the New York Times at one point.\n\nMs. Sutton, whose previous two albums each won Grammy nominations, says she has wanted for years to do a record challenging the modern tendency to exalt material wealth and self-gratification over humanity's higher, spiritual nature. Finally, the time was right.\n\nThe key, she said, is the 15-year relationship she has with her band – Christian Jacob on piano, Trey Henry and Kevin Axt on bass, and Ray Brinker on drums – and the way the five have learned to work together and with the music.\n\n\"I wouldn't have set about doing this in the first years that our band was together,\" Ms. Sutton says. \"We are a collective and make all our decisions collectively. As time went by, we were all craving to get deeper – both musically and conceptually. We'd reached a place where we were all very comfortable about doing this.\"\n\n**Sacred writings**\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"As she began work on the album, she set about exploring the literature of the world's religions to find relevant extracts to use.\n\n\"My 12-year-old son and I have held an interfaith children's class for the last six or seven years, so I had all the books from the different traditions to go to,\" she says. \"I read through all of them looking for texts about materialism. Of course, all faith traditions speak of this but in the end, I found that Baha'u'llah's writings seemed to be the most direct and concise in terms of materialism.\n\n\"In the course of researching this album, my understanding of the Hidden Words changed, and I now see the core issue of the book as humanity's struggle between its spiritual nature and materialism.\"\n\nIt took her many years to consider her work as a singer as a form of service to others.\n\n\"There are deep prejudices in our society about the usefulness of artists,\" says Ms. Sutton, who grew up in Milwaukee in the central United States and now lives in Los Angeles. \"I first set out to study Russian because I thought I would be able to serve humanity with it.\"\n\nIn the process of pursuing a bachelor's degree in Russian, she discovered jazz.\n\n\"I knew there was something spiritual there, but I couldn't see standing on a stage singing 'do-be-do' as service,\" she remembers. \"Then, after about 10 years, we started to get reviews where the critic could catch in our performances something of what I was trying to convey as a Baha'i.\"\n\nFollowing one of her shows, a New York Times' review said she \"conveyed a sense of jazz singing as an extension of spiritual meditation in which adherence to an ideal of balance and consistency and, yes, humility took precedence over any technical or emotional grandstanding.\"\n\nLetters from listeners began to confirm her in the idea of service.\n\n\"One man wrote to me and said our concert had given him his first experience of joy since his 20-year-old son had died the year before,\" she says. \"Another email came from a man who was thinking of taking his own life. He heard one of our songs on the radio and came to our concert that night, and he changed his mind.\"\n\n**Finding harmony**\n\nMs. Sutton says she sees her voice as just another instrument in the ensemble. The band is incorporated, with each member an equal partner in the finances.\n\n\"Look at the state of art and music in the world. It's in a very sorry state. I see people changed by listening to the level of excellence in this band,\" she says.\n\n\"We want to offer our experience as a model to corporations and all sorts of organizations who struggle with problem solving. We are inspired by a true process of consultation. When we set out to make a song, one person puts out an idea and the others contribute theirs. We all know each other extremely well. We have different styles, strengths and weaknesses,\" she notes.\n\n\"We can only do what we do if we remain united. Unity changes the way you do everything. And when we are onstage we always need to have a deep and profound sense of humility. We are there to serve the music.\"\n\nMs. Sutton is one in a line of accomplished jazz musicians who have been inspired by the Baha'i teachings, most notably Dizzy Gillespie, one of the 20th century's foremost trumpeters. She believes that there are parallels between the way that jazz works and concepts found in the Baha'i Faith.\n\n\"Despite what people think, jazz is not a kind of music without rules,\" she says, \"but its rules create a structure that inspires diverse expression. In the band, we all trust each other to follow certain rules. Likewise, the diversity and the variation of individual Baha'i experience are vast and personally directed in many ways, but there are core values or principles guiding it.\"\n\nWhen she saw the beautiful gardens and terraces of the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, she says she found herself thinking about some of the solos by Christian Jacob, the pianist in her band.\n\n\"There was intricacy and beauty and great variation, but all in harmony. That's very much in the tradition of the best jazz.\""}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568391-71801007.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The Tierney Sutton Band includes Christian Jacob on piano, Trey Henry and Kevin Axt on bass, and Ray Brinker on drums."},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568393-71802tierneysutton-image2.jpg"},"imageDescription":"\"Material things that we want or desire are not usually a path to happiness,\" says Tierney Sutton in the liner notes to her latest album, \"Desire.\""},{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568391-71803tierspan.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The two previous albums by the Tierney Sutton Band were both nominated for a Grammy award."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":717,"evergreenUrl":"australia-canada-call-immediate-release-imprisoned-bahais","title":"Australia, Canada call for immediate release of imprisoned Baha'is","description":"The Australian Parliament has called on the government of Iran to release seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders “without delay.” A motion from the...","date":"2009-05-27","customDateline":null,"city":"CANBERRA","country":"AUSTRALIA","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568382-71700cap003.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568382-71700cap003.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Member of Parliament Jim Turnour was one of six members of the Australian House of Representatives to speak in favor of a motion calling on Iran to release seven Baha’is imprisoned in Tehran for the past year without due legal process. “We will maintain close interest in this case and will continue to raise our concerns with the Iranian government,” he said during the discussion on 25 May 2009. (Photo copyright Parliament of Australia)","imageStyle":"body-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"The Australian Parliament has called on the government of Iran to release seven imprisoned Baha’i leaders “without delay.”\n\nA motion from the House of Representatives expresses “serious concern” that the detained Baha’is have had no access to legal representation and have not been subject to due legal process.\n\nIt also expresses concern about charges of “spying, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic Republic, and that these charges could attract the death penalty.”\n\nFinally, the motion calls on Iran to “to respect rights to freedom of religion and the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression and association, in accordance with international human rights conventions.”\n\nSix members of Parliament from both major parties spoke in support of the motion, which was approved on 25 May. One of them was Mr. Luke Simpkins.\n\n“I would like to be able to say there has been some progress since I last spoke on this issue,” he said, “but the cause of justice in Iran has only gone backwards in the last few months.\n\n“It has recently been publicized that the Baha’i seven may face another charge, that of spreading corruption on earth, which is in addition to the other charges reportedly laid. It is my firm view that all these charges have no validity and remain inconsistent with the teachings of the Baha’i Faith.”\n\nIN OTTAWA, the Canadian government also issued a statement, published on 14 May – the one-year anniversary of the imprisonment of six of the seven Baha’i leaders. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon said his government “calls upon the Iranian authorities to immediately release the seven Baha’i leaders and to cease the harassment of members of the Baha’i Faith.”\n\nHe said Canada is “deeply troubled by the continued imprisonment of these Baha’i leaders, without charge or legal representation.”\n\n“We believe they are being detained solely because of their faith,” he said.\n\nIN BRUSSELS, the Presidency of the European Union has issued a strong statement expressing “deep concern about the increasing violation of religious freedom in Iran.”\n\nThe statement specifically names 13 individuals – five Christians, seven Baha’is, and one Shiite – who the EU says are currently imprisoned for legitimate expression of religious belief.\n\nAbout the Baha’is, it says “evidence suggests that the persecution deliberately aims to suppress Baha’i religious identity and legitimate community activities.”\n\n“Concerns relating to this case are further reinforced by numerous reports of official harassment of members of the Baha’i community, including detentions; police summons and pressure to desist from community religious activities,” said the statement, issued on 25 May.\n\nThe seven Baha'is referred to in all the pronouncements are Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm.\n\nAll but Mrs. Sabet were arrested on 14 May 2008 at their homes in Tehran. Mrs. Sabet was arrested on 5 March 2008 while in Mashhad. The seven are being held in Evin prison in Tehran.\n\n(Editor's note: The photograph was added to this Web page on 2 June 2009. Wording describing the statement from the European Union was changed on 8 June 2009.)"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related link"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister](http://w01.international.gc.ca/minpub/publication.aspx?publication_id=387161&lang=eng&docnum=129&Year=2009)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related documents"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[Australian Parliament](http://dl.bahai.org/bwns/assets/documentlibrary/717_01_AustralianMotionOnBahais.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 95KB) "},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedPdfRecord","relatedPdfText":"[EU statement](http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/cfsp/107982.pdf)","relatedPdfDescription":"(Adobe Acrobat 180KB) "},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Background"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Iran Update](https://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update.html)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[Other BWNS articles about Iran](http://www.bahai.org/persecution/iran)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedLinkRecord","relatedLinkText":"[History of persecution of Baha'is in Iran – 1844 to present: A short summary](http://www.bahai.org/dir/worldwide/persecution)","relatedLinkDescription":""},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedFieldHeaderRecord","relatedHeaderText":"Related articles about Iran"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":713,"relatedStoryCaption":"'Spreading of corruption' could be among charges."},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":696,"relatedStoryCaption":"Canadian MP calls charges 'trumped up'"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_RelatedArticleRecord","storyNumber":695,"relatedStoryCaption":"The record shows they have lived exemplary lives of service."}],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":716,"evergreenUrl":"ascension-bahaullah-commemorated","title":"Ascension of Baha'u'llah commemorated","description":"On 29 May 1892 – 117 years ago this week – Baha’u’llah passed away at His home outside Acre. Baha’is around the world each year commemorate the...","date":"2009-05-26","customDateline":null,"city":"ACRE","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543758927-71600165203317.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543758927-71600165203317.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The burial place of Baha'u'llah and the adjacent house where He lived His final years are located in Acre, Israel. The shrine (the square darker building at the front of the complex) and gardens are open to the public.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"On 29 May 1892 – 117 years ago this week – Baha’u’llah passed away at His home outside Acre.\n\nBaha’is around the world each year commemorate the date with special devotional programs, many turning in the direction of His burial site as they pray. To Baha’is it is the most sacred spot on earth.\n\nThe Shrine of Baha’u’llah is adjacent to the home where He lived His final years. To the end He was a prisoner of the Turkish Empire, even after authorities allowed Him to live outside the walls of the prison city of Acre.\n\nHis passing in 1892 followed nearly 40 years of exile from His native Iran, first in Baghdad and later in Turkey before His incarceration in Acre in 1868.\n\nBaha’is accept Baha’u’llah as the Manifestation of God for this age, the latest in a line a divine prophets that includes Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, and others.\n\nThe Ascension of Baha’u’llah is one of nine holy days during the year on which Baha’is suspend work."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":715,"evergreenUrl":"bahais-observe-declaration-bab","title":"Baha'is observe Declaration of the Bab","description":"On 23 May, Baha'is around the world will celebrate the 165th anniversary of the birth of the Baha'i Faith. The holy day marks the Declaration...","date":"2009-05-19","customDateline":false,"city":"HAIFA","country":"ISRAEL","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568313-bwns5472-0.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568313-bwns5472-0.jpg"},"imageDescription":"The House of the Bab in Shiraz, Iran, where He declared His mission as a Messenger of God, was destroyed 30 years ago this year – in 1979 – by a mob aided by Revolutionary Guards.","imageStyle":"large-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"On 23 May, Baha'is around the world will celebrate the 165th anniversary of the birth of the Baha'i Faith.\n\nThe holy day marks the Declaration of the Bab, who in 1844 announced that He was a new divine Messenger, sent to herald a new age for humanity and to prepare the way for Baha'u'llah, the universal Messenger of God expected by people of all religions.\n\nThe house in Shiraz, Iran, where the Bab first made His announcement had been preserved as a Baha'i holy site, but in 1979 – 30 years ago this year – it was destroyed by a mob aided by Revolutionary Guards.\n\nThe Baha'i calendar dates from 1844, with the year 166 B.E. (Baha'i era) now under way.\n\nThe Declaration of the Bab is one of nine holy days during the year on which Baha'is suspend work."}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null},{"storyNumber":714,"evergreenUrl":"bahais-participate-un-sustainable-development-session","title":"Baha'is participate in U.N. Sustainable Development session","description":"As one of the youngest representatives from a nongovernmental organization to attend this year's U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development,...","date":"2009-05-19","customDateline":false,"city":"UNITED NATIONS","country":"UNITED STATES","thumbnail":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568293-71400aliciaatun.jpg"},"featureAudio":null,"feature":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ImageRecord","image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568293-71400aliciaatun.jpg"},"imageDescription":"Alicia Cundall, 19, one of the Baha'i representatives at the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development, read the statement prepared by the youth caucus for the plenary session of governments on 14 May.","imageStyle":"canvas-right","imageLink":""}],"storyContent":[{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"As one of the youngest representatives from a nongovernmental organization to attend this year's U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development, it was natural that 19-year-old Alicia Cundall would participate in the youth caucus.\n\nBut she didn't expect to be appointed by the group to deliver their main statement to the plenary session of governments, which she did on 14 May.\n\n\"I didn't want to read it but the people in my group said it would make sense for me to do it because I had worked really hard on it,\" said Ms. Cundall, who is an environmental science student at the University of Toronto and one of six youth delegates from the Baha'i International Community to this year's session of the commission, held 4-15 May.\n\nThe youth statement sought to emphasize the commission's responsibility to take future generations into account as it grapples with this year's agenda, which focused on the food crisis, agriculture, and Africa.\n\n\"In times of crisis we're often urged by convenience or panic to fall back on old practices and cheap fixes,\" said Ms. Cundall, reading the youth statement.\n\n\"But we cannot continue along this road,\" the statement said. \"We must ensure that wherever possible, even if it's hard, even if it costs more now, we prioritize truly sustainable practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.\"\n\n"},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_InlineImageRecord","slideshowImageNumber":2},{"__typename":"DatoCMS_ParagraphRecord","paragraphText":"Tahirih Naylor, the Baha'i representative to the U.N. who specializes in sustainable-development issues, said that the goal in sponsoring so many young people at the meeting was to emphasize the role of education and capacity building as an essential component of sustainable development.\n\n\"Youth, with access to quality education and training, can be the protagonists of their own development,\" she said.\n\nIn addition to the Youth caucus, Baha'i delegates – 12 in all – participated  in the Women's caucus, the NGO caucus, and the Indigenous Peoples caucus.\n\nThe Baha'i International Community sponsored and participated in several side events at this year's session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development. These included:\n\n-- A Learning Center program on \"Climate Ethics.\" The interactive course intended for policy makers and others sought to enable participants to identify key ethical and moral responsibilities that should guide decision-making in the area of climate change.\n\nThe discussion focused on how the threats of climate change to agriculture, rural development, and land productivity should be addressed within an ethical framework that allows nations to move beyond national interest to consideration of the common good.\n\nFacilitators included Donald A. Brown, associate professor of environmental ethics, science and law, Penn State University; Marilyn Averill, an attorney and doctoral candidate in environmental studies in the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Colorado at Boulder; and Peter Adriance, NGO liaison for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.\n\n-- A panel discussion on \"Poverty and the Climate Crisis\" organized by the Working Group on Poverty and Climate Change of the NGO Subcommittee on Poverty Eradication. The event featured Fred Matwang'a of the Kenyan mission to the United Nations; Kiara Worth, a specialist in sustainable development from South Africa; Dessima Williams, ambassador of Grenada to the United Nations; and Ms. Averill of the University of Colorado. The event was moderated by Anita Wenden, convener of the Working Group on Poverty and Climate Change.\n\nMs. Worth, 25, who was one of the Baha'i delegates, presented a one-woman dramatic presentation titled \"Theatre of Survival: Grassroots Climate Change Communication.\" She appeared as an old and wizened village songoma who tells the story of young white scientists overtaking her village with complicated charts and numbers, demanding that the people change the type of crops they grow.\n\n\"It's often difficult to communicate scientific concepts without taking into account the existing cultural realities,\" said Ms. Worth, explaining why she chose to use theater for her contribution – a technique she often employs in her work with Golder Associates in promoting sustainable development in South Africa.\n\n\"The beauty of theater is that anyone can do it and it can be adapted to various social messages,\" she said.\n\n(The Web site of the United Nations Office of the Baha'i International Community at http://www.bic.org/  has additional information, including links to video with portions of some of the presentations.)"}],"disableInlineCaptions":false,"slideshow":[{"image":{"url":"https://www.datocms-assets.com/6348/1543568293-71401climateethics.jpg"},"imageDescription":"\"Climate Ethics\" was a Learning Center side event sponsored by the Baha'i International Community during the session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development. The event was held on 4 May."}],"pushRelatedContentDown":null,"relatedContent":[],"updatedContent":false,"excludeFromHomepage":false,"category":[],"highlightClip":null}],"lang":"en","language":"en","location":"/archive/53/"}},"staticQueryHashes":["2762707590"]}