This chronology is an updated, expanded version of A Basic Baha'i Chronology by Glenn Cameron and Wendi Momen. To help add or correct entries, contact Glenn. |
Canada | |||
date | event | tags |
2024 27 Nov 202- |
The European Parliament passed a joint motion for a resolution on the increasing and systematic repression of women in Iran in light of the recent increase in the number of arrests, prosecutions and imprisonments of Bahá'í women. [European Parliament resolution; BIC-Brussell] | * Persecution, Iran |
2024 25 Nov 202- |
The Bahá'í World Centre advised that the work on the Shrine of the Báb that had begun some four months earlier had been completed. The project implemented several features to enhance accessibility, particularly for wheelchairs. The main paths approaching the Shrine from both east and west were paved with Jerusalem Red Limestone, while the expansion of the plaza immediately in front of the Shrine was finished with Galil Gold Limestone—the same stone used for the floor of the Shrine’s colonnade and the terraces above and below on Mt. Carmel.
The expansion of the plaza was inspired by drawings prepared by William Sutherland Maxwell—Hand of the Cause and distinguished Canadian architect—who designed the Shrine’s superstructure in the early 1940s. The building’s harmonious blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles has made it a familiar and well-loved landmark. [BWNS1764] See some "before" images. In its letter of 26 July 2024 it was stated that "the opportunity will be taken to carry out some preparatory work inside the Shrine so that, in due course, all rooms can be dedicated to prayer and worship as part of the single Shrine of the Báb." |
Báb, Shrine of (Haifa) |
2024 11 Nov 202- |
The Bahá'í International Community in New York announced the launching of a new publication titled Outsiders: Multifaceted Violence Against Bahá'ís in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is the latest in a series of highly significant independent reports and statements about the Bahá'íis in Iran published in recent months.
The new report was prepared by the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, in partnership with Eleos Justice at Monash University, a think tank created and directed by Mai Sato, the new UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran. The report focuses on violence perpetrated against the Bahá'í community since the Baha’i Faith emerged in 1844, by documenting three forms of violence as described by sociologist Johan Galtung; direct, structural and cultural, showing them to be part of the Iranian government’s systematic effort to eliminate the Bahá'í religious minority from society. One major finding of the report, however, is that the Iranian population has increasingly “resisted” the policy of discrimination against the Bahá'í community. There appears to have been a shift in public attitudes toward Bahá'ís from contempt and avoidance around the time of the Revolution to increasing indifference, acceptance and even support of the Bahá'í community. [BIC News 11NOV24] |
* Persecution, Iran |
2024 16 Oct 202- |
In a message the Universal House of Justice announced the intention to build a further two national Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs, one in Brasilia, Brazil and the other in Lilongwe, Malawi as will as a local Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs in Batouri, Cameroon. [Message 16 October 2014] | - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, National; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Local; Brasilia; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Brasilia, Brazil; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Lilongwe, Malawi; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Batouri, Cameroon; Malawi; Cameroon; Brazil |
2024 22 - 23 Sep 202- |
The 75th Anniversary of the United Nations was marked in June 2020 with a declaration by Member States that included 12 overarching commitments along with a request to the Secretary-General for recommendations to address both current and future challenges. In September 2021, the Secretary-General responded with his report, Our Common Agenda, a wake-up call to speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and propel the commitments contained in the UN75 Declaration. In some cases, the proposals addressed gaps that had emerged since 2015, requiring new intergovernmental agreements. The report, therefore, called for a Summit of the Future to forge a new global consensus on readying for a future that is rife with risks but also opportunities. The General Assembly welcomed the submission of the "rich and substantive" report and agreed to hold the Summit on 22-23 September 2024, preceded by a ministerial meeting in 2023. An action-oriented Pact for the Future is expected to be agreed by Member States through intergovernmental negotiations on issues they decide to take forward. [Road to the Summit of the Future] |
United Nations; Summit of the Future (UN conference); New York, USA; New York City, NY |
2024 20 Sep 202- |
The publication of Seals & Crofts: Chronicles of a Summer Breeze. It was written by Anthony Bentivegna and published independently.
Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts were pop-rock troubadours in the ‘70s famous for songs such as “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” “We May Never Pass This Way (Again),” and “Get Closer.” Their deep connection to the Baha’i Faith made them the only American musicians who caused thousands to join an organized religion, and their lyrics frequently explored mystical concepts. Their exquisite vocal blend and their guitar and mandolin counterpoint generated a huge following and the respect of peer musicians, as they went from small town roots in Texas to filling stadiums in their heyday. Seals & Crofts had an extended family of musicians who contributed road stories, songwriting insight and personal reflections over decades of struggles, setbacks and ultimately the breakthrough success of “Summer Breeze.” Jimmy and Dash were polar opposites but their shared values and unlikely mesh of talents forged a unique sound, aided by their legendary Wrecking Crew producer, Louie Shelton. Seals & Crofts: Chronicles of a Summer Breeze is not a typical expose’ of sex, drugs, or even hard core rock and roll. It is a story of two musicians who shared a lifetime of another sort of adventures. The book details their incredible happenstance to join a Top 40 instrumental band as teenagers, years of paying dues, finding their calling, surviving the controversy of a politically charged hit single, trying their hand at disco, and fading into the background of an 80’s music scene, only to re-emerge as vanguards of the Baha’i Faith. This is their story. |
Seals and Crofts; Jim Seals; Dash Crofts |
2024 20 - 23 Sep 202- |
Summit of the Future was held in New York where world leaders at the United Nations World adopted a Pact for the Future that included a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This Pact was the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow. The most wide-ranging international agreement in many years, covering entirely new areas as well as issues on which agreement has not been possible in decades, the Pact aims above all to ensure that international institutions can deliver in the face of a world that has changed dramatically since they were created. As the Secretary-General has said: “We cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents. [United Nations press release; SotF Website; BWNS1752]
The Bahá'í International Community release a statement titled Embracing Interdependence: Foundations for a World in Transition, which highlighte the imperative for the international community to place humanity’s interdependence at the heart of the systems of global governance. |
United Nations; - BIC statements |
2024 8 Aug 202- |
The publication of the statement In the Vanguard: The Role of Youth in an Ever-Advancing Global Society, by the New York Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC). It calls for a rethinking of how youth are perceived and engaged by communities and institutions with the aim of creating conditions that allow their capacities to flourish and it explores the profound potential of young people in fostering societal transformation and contributing to an ever-advancing global society. [BWNS1744]
The BIC statement can be viewed here. |
- BIC statements; Bahá'í International News Service; New York City, NY; Youth |
2024 20 Aug 202- |
The release of four Yemeni Bahá'ís, Abdul Elah Al Boni, Muhammad Bashir, Ibrahim Juail, and Hassan Thabet, who had been jailed by the Houthi authorities since May, 2023 in a raid on a private residence. These four were the last of the 17 that were detained. They reported that during their incarceration they were under pressure to renounce their faith through forced participation in “cultural courses” conducted by Houthi agents, which essentially amount to attempts at forced indoctrination.
The raid last year prompted repeated calls by the international community for the release of the detained Bahá'ís. In August 2023 six members of the United Nations Security Council “deplored” the detentions and more recently, in May, a powerful coalition of United Nations Special Rapporteurs, European parliamentarians, ambassadors, international human rights organizations, and a Nobel laureate addressed the matter alongside the #FreeYemeniBahá'ís campaign online. Several Yemeni tribal leaders and religious figures also played a major role in the release of the Bahá'í detainees. [BIC News 20 August 2024; BSNS1746] |
Yemen; Persecution, Yemen |
2024 2 - 4 Aug 202- |
The 48th Annual Conference of the Association of Bahá'í Studies was held in Atlanta, Georgia. It was attended by some 1,900 participants. [BWNS1745]
The presentations were:
Videos of the presentations are available here. |
|
2024 31 Jul 202- |
The Special Rapporteurs working the field of cultural rights, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on the right to education; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; the Special Rapporteur on minority issues; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion
or belief; the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls jointly addressed the government of Iran on the increase in the systematic targeting of Bahá'í women in Iran.
The message contained details of the treatment of 47 women. They pointed out that over the last year that two-thirds of all Bahá'í prisoners in Iran have been women and that a significant number were being held without due process and their whereabouts were unknown. Many of the victims have been mothers of young children and that they have had to endure the harsh conditions of solitary confinement, frequent interrogations, inadequate medical attention, and restricted family contact. They called on the government of Iran to provide additional information of the 47 cases mentioned, as well as legal grounds for the steps taken against them and updates on their individual health. They also called for an end to the discrimination against Bahá'í citizens in Iran. |
* Persecution, Iran |
2024 21 Jun 202- |
The Huthi de facto authorities released Baha’i human rights activist Abdullah al-Olofi from over a year in arbitrary detention, yet are continuing to arbitrarily detain four other Bahá'ís. The four remaining prisoners are Abdul’elah Muhammad al-Boni, 30, Hassan Tariq Thabet al-Zakari, 28, Muhammad Bashir Abdel Jalil, 25, and Ibrahim Ahmad Jo’eil, 49,
On 25 May 2023, armed Huthi forces stormed a peaceful gathering of Baha’is in a private residence in Sana’a and arbitrarily detained 17 people, including five women. They forcibly disappearedthem for around four months until their families learned they were being held at Huthi-run security and intelligence detention centres in Sana’a. Between June 2023 and June 2024, 13 individuals including Abdullah al-Olofi and all five women were released following international pressure. The four remaining Bahá'ís continued to be held without charge and were denied their right to legal counsel. Since 2015, Amnesty International has documented the cases of at least 100 members of the Bahá'í faith in Yemen, who have been detained by the Huthi de facto authorities and subjected to enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture and ill-treatment and denied fair trial rights. [Amnesty International 27 May 2021; Posted on X by @BahaiBIV 22 June 2024] |
Persecution, Yemen; Yemen |
2024 26 May 202- |
The inauguration of the national Bahá'í House of Worship in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The Universal House of Justice was represented by Counsellor Kessia Ruh who read the letter. There were some 1,000 participants of the ceremony that included government officials, religious leaders, members of civil society, representatives of local and national Bahá’í institutions, and many other people from across the country. The following day approximately 3,000 people gathered to celebrate the historic opening of PNG’s national Bahá’í House of Worship on the second day of the dedication program. [BWNS1734] Other related stories: BWNS1733; BWNS1732; BWNS1713; BWNS1524; BWNS1688 See as well In Conversation: Stories from temple dedication in Papua New Guinea. |
Papua New Guinea; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Port Moresby; Kessia Ruh |
2024 1 Apr 202- |
The publication of The Boot on My Neck: Iranian Authorities' Crime of Persecution Against Bahá'ís in Iran by Human Rights Watch. The report draws on extensive documentation by Human Rights Watch and Iranian human rights groups regarding violations against Bahá'ís in Iran. . [BIC News 2MAY24]
A summary of the report is available in English and in Farsi. |
* Persecution, Iran |
2024 8 Mar 202- |
A report mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran on November 24, 2022, to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran related to the protests that followed Mahsa Amini's death, said the mission "has established the existence of evidence of trauma to Ms. Amini's body, inflicted while in the custody of the morality police." | United Nations; Mahsa Amini |
2024 Jan 202- |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States established the Corinne True Center for Bahá'í History. Its stated purpose was to foster the study of Bahá'í history, Bahá'í sacred texts, Bahá'í philosophical and theological concepts, and world religions from a Bahá'í and comparative perspective. It will accomplish this through online noncredit courses, web presentations and interviews, online seminars, online conferences, in-person conferences, and publication of some of the resulting research. It will seek to support these subjects at three levels in order to provide comprehensive support to Bahá'í culture and Bahá'í scholarship: at an introductory level, to inform rank and file believers and their friends and encourage them to do basic scholarship; at an advanced level, for Bahá'ís and their friends wishing to go into greater depth of study and research; and at the graduate and postgraduate levels, via seminars and academic-level conferences.
A website has been established and they have a YouTube and a Facebook presence as well. |
Corinne True Center for Bahá'í History; Corinne True; United States (USA) |
2024 (In the year) 202- |
The publication of Adasiyyih: The Story of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Model Farming Community by Paul Hanley. Published by Bahá'í Publishing in Evanston, IL.
This book follows the story of the ‘Adasíyyih community, a farming village established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in what is now Jordan. Bahá'ís from Iran settled there and transformed a degraded parcel of land into the site of a thriving farm and prosperous community whose residents embodied the Bahá'í teachings. It was this farming village— along with several others in the region of the Galilee— that produced a surplus of crops, which enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to keep famine at bay for so many people during World War I, a feat that would earn Him a knighthood from the British Empire. In time, ‘Adasíyyih would become a model village for Jordanians, and Jordan’s royalty would become frequent guests. Author Paul Hanley’ s extensive research, along with his deep interest in agricultural systems, provides a fascinating glimpse at this remarkable history and the lessons that can be applied to current agroecological efforts. See also interview on Bahá'í Blog. |
Adasiyyih, Palestine; Agriculture |
2023 21 Dec 202- |
A special reception at Portcullis House in Westminster was organized by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Bahá'í Faith to commemorate the centenary of the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom. They brought together government officials, civil society leaders, journalists and representatives of various faith communities.
A video, Light in a Dark World, made for the occasion, was presented. In the video they enumerated the five principles that enabled the Assembly to govern more effectively. They were 1. using the principles of Bahá'í consultation, 2. turning to the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, 3. collaboration with the institutions of the Counsellors, and drawing on the experience of individual Counsellors, 4. the members of the Assembly's involvement in the work of the Universal House of Justice, and 5. the members of the Assembly championing the decisions of the Assembly itself. [BWNS1708] |
National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom; Light in a Dark World (film); United Kingdom |
2023 19 Dec 202- |
The publication of the second edition of Time and the Bahá'í Era A Study of the Badí Calendar by Gerald Keil. It was published by George Ronald Publishers. | - Badi calendar; - Calendars (general); * Publications |
2023 4 Dec 202- |
In a statement released by the Bahá'í Community titled, A Change in Tactics: The Iranian Government's Recent Persecution of Bahá'ís, it was reported that the latest change in tactics represents an escalation and intensification of its policy of systematic persecution against the community.
The statement detailed a range of new and ever harsher methods the authorities are using to persecute the Bahá'ís. The methods include home raids and searches, arrests, trials, prison terms, land and property confiscations, hate speech, the denial of education, and the denial of burial rights and of basic citizenship rights. The principal goal of these new tactics, the Bahá'í International Community believes, is to sow fear and confusion, to disenfranchise and further impoverish Baha'is, to prolong the harassment of individuals, and to instill feelings of uncertainty and thus rob all Baha'is of peace and security in their daily lives. |
* Persecution, Iran; Bahá'í International Community; Iran |
2023 28 Nov 202- |
On 28 November 2023 the Universal House of Justice, in a Message addressed to the Bahá'ís of the World, published a review of the previous 100 years of the Formative Age.
It bears a similarity to the Lawḥ-i-Qarn (Tablet of the Centennial) that Shoghi Effendi sent to the Bahá'ís of Iran to commemorate the Centenary of the Faith in 1944. |
Universal House of Justice, Letters and messages; Reflections on the First Century of the Formative Age (letter); Historical overviews by Central Figures or BWC; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 21 Nov 202- |
The publication of A Day for Great Things: The Lives of Howard Colby and Mabel Rice-Wray Ives by Earl Redman and Erica Toussaint. It was published by George Ronald Publishers. | * Publications; Howard Colby Ives; Mabel Rice-Wray Ives |
2023 11 Nov 202- |
The publication of Abdu'l-Bahā Abbās': Head of the Bahá'í Faith / A Life in Social & Regional Context by Joshua Lincoln. It was published by Idra Publishing in Tel Aviv. | * `Abdu'l-Bahá; Tel Aviv, Israel; Israel |
2023 November 202- |
Mahvash Sabet, from her prison cell, sent an open letter to the people of Iran. [Letter] | Yaran; Tehran, Iran; Iran |
2023 6 Oct 202- |
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023 to Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. Her brave struggle came with tremendous personal costs. In 2003 she became involved with the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran, an organisation founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. In 2011 Ms Mohammadi was arrested for the first time and sentenced to many years of imprisonment for her efforts to assist incarcerated activists and their families. Altogether, the regime arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes. She was in prison at the time of the announcement.
Ms. Mohammadi was unable to attend and her 17-year-old twin children, Kiana Rahmani and Ali Rahmani, instead accepted medal and diploma on her behalf and read out a speech she had prepared. [New York Times 10 December 2023] In September 2022 a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Jina Amini, was killed while in the custody of the Iranian morality police. Her killing triggered the largest political demonstrations against Iran's theocratic regime since it came to power in 1979. Under the slogan "Woman – Life – Freedom", hundreds of thousands of Iranians took part in peaceful protests against the authorities' brutality and oppression of women. The regime cracked down hard on the protests: more than 500 demonstrators were killed. Thousands were injured, including many who were blinded by rubber bullets fired by the police. At least 20,000 people were arrested and held in regime custody. [Nobel Prize] Mohammadi's husband, Taghi Rahmani, said at a press conference in Oslo that she would undertake the hunger strike as a gesture of support for the Bahá'í religious minority. [Yahoo News 10 December 2023] . |
Oslo, Norway; Norway |
2023 3 Oct 202- |
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the OHCHR filed its report on Qatar. One Committee Expert expressed grave concerns about reports of discrimination of religious minorities, notably against persons belonging to the Baha'i religious community, which was not recognised and denied registration in Qatar. Members of the Baha'i minority had been subjected to administrative deportation and blacklisting, resulting in loss of employment and familial separation.
Hend Bint Abalrahman Al-Muftah, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations office in Geneva, and head of delegation,Hend Bint Abalrahman Al-Muftah, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations office in Geneva, and head of delegation, responded by stating that "The State did not consider religion when determining whether to provide residency or not, the delegation said. No person of Baha'i faith or other faiths were deported unless they unlawfully stayed in Qatar." [OHCHR website] |
Persecution, Qatar; Qatar |
2023 27 Sep 202- |
The passing of Mavis Cox Changawa (b. 1922 Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago) in Nairobi at the age of about 100. [Find a grave]
Mavis Cox was a distinguished pioneer from the Caribbean city of Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago. She journeyed to Africa in 1955, immediately after becoming a Bahá'í while in Harlem, in Upper Manhattan, New York City. This video was recorded on her 94th Birthday in 2016 while she narrated her history and sojourn in Eastern Africa. In the 80's into the early 2000's, she was in charge of the Kilifi Bahá'í Institute at the Coastal region of Kenya and later moved to Nairobi where she served the Kenyan Bahá'í Community in many capacities. Her life is a legacy of absolute resilience, dedicated service and obedience to the Centre of the Covenant. [From Trinidad to Africa With Faith ----The Story of Mavis Cox Changawa] |
- In Memoriam; Mavis Cox Changawa; Nairobi, Kenya; Kenya |
2023 19 Sep 202- |
It was announced that the Bahá'í World News Service was expanded to include the Persian language on its website. While a distinct Persian site had existed until recently, this integration represented an important step in offering visitors a more complete experience. Accompanying this release was the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel, offering Persian-language versions of BWNS video productions on developments in the global Bahá'í community. [BWNS1695] | Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 15 Sep 202- |
The publication of Rúhíyyih Khánum by Hussein Ahdieh and Hillary Chapman. The biography was published by Baha'i Publications Australia. | Ruhiyyih Khanum |
2023 26 Aug 202- |
The publication of Baha'i Community of the British Isles 1844–1963 by Adam Thorne, Moojan Momen, Janet Rose, Earl Redman. It was published by George Ronald Publishers.
The British Bahá'í community has been in existence since 1899 and its elected national leadership council, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles (later the United Kingdom), was first elected in 1923. Although a number of monographs, articles and biographies have appeared over the years, no overall survey of the community's history has yet been published. The Bahá'í Community of the British Isles, 1844–1963 is an attempt to fill some of the gap. |
Oxford, England; United Kingdom |
2023 8 Aug 202- |
The publication of Servant to the Servants; Roy C. Wilhelm, Hand of the Cause of God by Joel Nizin, Kathryn Jewett Hogenson and Gary L. Hogenson. It was published by Bahá'í Publishing in Evanson, IL. | * Publications; Roy C. Wilhelm |
2023 22 Aug 202- |
The launch of the Townshend Taherzadeh Library and Archives established in honour of George Townshend (1876-1957), the founding figure of the Irish Bahá'í Community, and Adib Taherzadeh (1921-2000), a father figure during its formative years. the library's primary founding objectives are to promote, preserve and provide accessibility to the rich history and development of the Bahá'í Faith in the island of Ireland and throughout the world, and to become a centre of learning and research for future generations. | Waterford, Ireland; Ireland |
2023 Aug 202- |
The release of the compilation To Set the World in Order: Building and Preserving Strong Marriages prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. | Marriage; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 14 - 18 Aug 202- |
The Parliament was held in Chicago at McCormick Place. The theme was A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights. There were more than 7,000 attendees representing more that 95 countries. [Chicago 2023] | Parliament of the World's Religions; Chicago, IL; United States (USA) |
2023 13 Aug 202- |
The arrest of Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, a 90-year-old Bahá'í in failing health who had already served 10 years in prison (2008-2018) for his membership in the Yaran. His arrest, along with his daughter, Maria Khanjani, were part of a new wave of repression targeting the Bahá'ís that has seen over 180 incidents of persecution against the community in recent weeks. Note
Mr. Khanjani's arrest comes days after two other Bahá'í women and former Yaran members, Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi, received confirmation of their 10-year prison terms which were upheld this week on appeal. A fourth member of the Yaran, Afif Naimi was also arrested a year ago and has recently received a seven-year jail term. His brother, Enoyatollah, was sentenced to 18 years in prison by Judge Morteza Barati of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court, 10 years for "organizing a group or association aimed at undermining national security" and to five years in prison for "propaganda against the regime". If the verdict is upheld by the appeals court,Naimi must serve the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The court also sentenced him to a fine of 50 million tomans and deprived him of his civil rights for 15 years. [Iranwire 15 may 2023]
Nine other Bahá'ís were also arrested on the same day as Mr Khanjani. They are the owners and employees of a number of pharmacy businesses, which were sealed and shut down by the authorities. They have been accused of disrupting pharmaceutical supplies. In the face of growing solidarity between the Bahá'ís and the general population the government is trying to drive a wedge by calling these legitimate Bahá'í-owned trading businesses "hoarders". These new arrests have taken the number of Bahá'ís arrested or imprisoned in recent weeks to almost 60 incidents. During the same period, over 26 Bahá'ís also received sentences for jail terms that could begin at any time. Further, 18 Bahá'ís have faced interrogations. Fifty-nine Bahá'í-owned businesses were reported to have been sealed by the authorities and the homes of nine others were raided and searched. The brutal crackdown is reminiscent of August last year, where over 300 incidents of persecution against the Bahá'ís occurred in one month alone. [BIC News 16 August 2023; HRANA] |
* Persecution, Iran; Yaran; Tehran, Iran; Iran |
2023 11 Aug 202- |
The Tehran Court of Appeal maintained the original rulings against Baha'i citizens, Mahvash Sabet (Shahriari) and Fariba Kamalabadi, confirming their 20-year prison terms. Initially, both women were sentenced to ten years, along with additional penalties by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of "forming and leading groups to act against national security." Following these apprehensions, the Ministry of Intelligence released a video portraying these individuals as spies, alleging their involvement in infiltrating kindergartens to propagate their beliefs and advocating for the removal of hijab.
A source close to Sabet's family revealed that Sabet, aged 70, is battling multiple illnesses that have been aggravated by her prolonged imprisonment. Over the past few months, she has faced several hospitalizations. [Iran Press Watch 11 August 2-23] They, along with fellow former member of the "Yaran", Mr Afif Naimi, had been arrested on the 31st of July at the outset of the summer crackdown. [BIC News 18 November 2022] |
* Persecution, Iran; Yaran; Tehran, Iran; Iran |
2023 5 - 9 June 202- |
The second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly was held in Nairobi, Kenya under the theme "A sustainable urban future through inclusive and effective multilateralism: achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in times of global crises." (The First Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly was held in Nairobi, from 27-31 May 2019, where the organizational components necessary for the Assembly's functioning, were approved and resolutions were adopted various subjects.) [Earth Negotiations Bulletin]
|
United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; Environment; Nairobi, Kenya |
2023 2 Jun 202- |
The Huthi-affiliated Grand Mufti in Sana’a attacked the Bahá'ís in Yemen in his Friday sermon, accusing them of seeking to harm the country and inciting violence against them. [Amnesty International 23 May 2024] | Persecution, Yemen |
2023 25 May 202- |
The Yemeni Houthis carried out an attack on a peaceful gathering of Bahá'ís in Sana'a detaining and disappearing 17 individuals including 5 women. The attack occurred as the Baha'is had gathered at a residence to elect the national governing body for the Yemeni Bahá'í community and was recorded on the Zoom call in progress at the time. The detainees' whereabouts and wellbeing were unknown. The Baha'i International Community reported that they had "been alerted to other incidents suggesting that the raid may be the first of more attempts by security to target Baha'is across Houthi-controlled Yemen" and that details of these incidents were being withheld for security reasons. [Iranwire 26 May 2023; BWNS1671]
Subsequently one man and three women were released in June and two men in July. [Amnesty International 8 August 2023] |
Persecution, Yemen; Sanaa, Yemen; Yemen |
2023 15 May 202- |
The Universal House of Justice announced the appointment of the members of the International Teaching Centre for the five-year term beginning 23 May 2023. Those appointed were: Antonella Demonte, Gloria Javid, Dinesh Kumar, Kanagaratnam Lakmeeharan, Rachel Ndegwa, Amir Saberin, Navid Serrano, Mehranguiz Farid Tehrani, and Holly Woodard. [message from the NSA of Canada to all assemblies, councils and groups S127916 dated 15 May 2023] | International Teaching Centre, Members of; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 15 May 202- |
The Bahá'í International Community announced the launching a global campaign, called #OurStoryIsOne, to honour the 10 Iranian women executed forty years prior and the long struggle for gender equality lived by women of all faiths and backgrounds in Iran for many decades and which continued in that country. The campaign started in June and spanned a year, with its most intensive phase taking place the first three weeks of June, leading up to the 40th anniversary of their execution on 18 June.
The BIC invited people around the world, whether as artists, musicians, filmmakers, or in other creative areas, to pay tribute in their name. Contributions included: songs about the 10 women, short videos about their lives, a memory of the women themselves, graphic arts, written work, social media posts, or public events and memorials, to honour the longstanding struggle and efforts towards gender equality in Iran. Details about the 10 women and a recounting of the story of their arrest and public execution can be found here. Please see BIC News 1 August 2023 for a complete report. On the 12th of September 2023 the US House of Representatives has passed a resolution about the Bahá'ís in Iran with 28 congressional co-sponsors—an unprecedented number of co-sponsors among congressional resolutions on the persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran for at least 20 years. House Resolution 492, was introduced by Illinois Congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky. It follows Ms. Schakowsky's strong support for the ongoing #OurStoryIsOne campaign, launched in June of this year where she initially announced this bill. The campaign began in honour of the 40th anniversary of the execution of 10 Baha'i women in Shiraz for their beliefs. The Baha'i International Community dedicated the campaign and the anniversary to all women in Iran who continue to struggle for the cause of gender equality. The resolution begins with the execution of the 10 women, stating, "[w]hereas June 18, 2023, marks the 40th anniversary of the execution of 10 Bahá'í women by the Iranian Government each witnessing the hanging of those hanged before her in a final failed attempt to induce abandonment of their faith after over 6 months of imprisonment and violent abuse, with the youngest only 17 years old." It further condemns the "violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights," calling on the Iranian government to "immediately release Baha'is and others imprisoned or detained solely on account of religion, end its state-sponsored campaign of hate propaganda against the Bahá'ís, and reverse policies that discriminate against Bahá'ís and other religious minorities. [GlobeNewswire 12 September 2023; Iran Press Watch 15 September 2023] |
* Persecution, Iran; Bahá'í International Community; Geneva, Switzerland; Switzerland; Shíráz, Iran; Iran |
2023 7 May 202- |
The passing of Jack Edwards McCants (b. Dallas, Texas 19 January 1930) in the Houston area. He was buried at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Humble, Texas. Mr McCants was an ordained Methodist minister until becoming a Bahá'í in 1959. He received a doctorate in public health administration. He served as an Auxiliary Board Member from 1965-1967 and was first elected to the National Spiritual Assembly in 1968. He left after two years to help set up the first mental Health institutions in the Pacific islands. He was elected to the National Assembly of Samoa in 1975 and then moved to the Philippines in 1978. He returned to the USA in 1980 and was again elected to the National Asmelby in 1986 and retired in 2002. [Calvary Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery. iiiii | - In Memoriam; Jack McCants; Houston, TX |
2023 1 May 202- |
The Bahá'í World Centre released a short documentary regarding the construction of the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the delegates of the 13th International Bahá'í Convention. It included an account of the clean-up efforts following the fire at the construction site in April of 2022 and the resumption of work in August.
The film can be viewed on YouTube. There are plans to release subtitled versions in Arabic, French, Russian, and Spanish. A version with Persian subtitles can be seen here. [BWNS1622] |
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Shrine of; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 Ridván 202- |
The release of the Ridván Message. by the Universal House of Justice.
They called for the establishment of a local Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Kanchanpur, Nepal, and in Mwinilunga, Zambia. A national House of Worship is to be raised up in Toronto, Canada, in the vicinity of the long-established National Bahá'í Centre. [BWNS 1669] |
Ridván messages; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Local; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, National; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Toronto; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Kanchanpur, Nepal; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Mwinilunga, Zambia; Toronto, ON; Canada; Kanchanpur, Nepal; Nepal; Mwinilunga, Zambia; Zambia |
2023 30 Apr 202- |
The film, An Expansive Prospect, commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, was screened at the 13th International Bahá'í Convention.
The 72 minute film highlighted efforts in four regions of the world where people, communities, and institutions were striving together to channel the transformative power of the Bahá'í teachings toward social change. It was scripted in English with subtitled versions in other languages. A voiceover version of the film in Arabic was also made available. [BWNS1660] |
Conventions, International; - Film; - Documentaries, BWC; Social change; - Institute process; Nine Year Plan (2022-2031); An Expansive Prospect (film); - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 24 Apr - 2 May 202- |
In 2022 local Bahá'í conferences were able to be held in Morocco as part of a wave of Bahá'í conferences held globally, and as of 2023 the National Spiritual Assembly of Morocco had been re-established with its delegates attending the Thirteenth International Convention. [BWNS1587 slide 33; BWNS1657 slide 82] | National Spiritual Assembly, formation; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 24 Apr - 2 May 202- |
The 13th International Bahá'í Convention was held at the Bahá'í World Centre.
To prepare for their duty in electing the Universal House of Justice, delegates immersed themselves in the spiritual atmosphere of the Bahá'í Holy Places in Akka and Haifa including the construction site of the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Baha. At the start of the Convention, the Bahá'ís in Iran, who for several decades have been prevented from forming Bahá'í institutions and therefore electing representatives, were remembered by the participants, and their absence was poignantly marked by a beautiful arrangement of 95 red roses. Some 1,250 delegates came from 176 countries across the world to attend the International Convention which ran from the 29th of April to the 2nd of May. On the first day of their arrival the delegates visited the Holy Places in Haifa and in Akka [BWNS1656] On Saturday, the 29th of April, the 12th day of Ridván, 1590 votes were counted on behalf of the assembled and absent delegates. There was a tie for the 9th place and the assembled delegates voted on Sunday to decided between the two men. On the 1st of May it was announced that Chuungu Malitonga, Paul Lample, Juan Francisco Mora, Ayman Rouhani, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, Praveen Mallik, Andrej Donoval, and Albert Nshisu Nsunga were elected. [BWNS1656; BWNS1657; BWNS1658; BWNS1659] See two photo albums posted by Hungarian delegate and photographer Edit Kalman called Precious Souls and Special days. |
Conventions, International; Universal House of Justice, Election of; Universal House of Justice, Members of; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 21 - 22 Apr 202- |
More than 40 political, social and human rights activists inside and outside Iran, some from inside the Islamic Republic's prisons, joined a virtual seminar to try to answer the question: How to save Iran?
Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi were among the prisoners who sent a written note from their cells in Evan Prison to this symposium that was held on the Clubhouse app. After their message was published, both women were barred from receiving visitors or using their phones for three weeks. [IranWire 24 April, 2023; IranWire 15 May 2023] |
* Persecution, Iran |
2023 12 Apr 202- |
Iran's former crown prince, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife Yasmine visited the Bahá'í World Centre at the end of their five-day visit to Israel. During their visit they held talks with senior officials, met Israelis of Iranian descent and participated in Israel's annual Holocaust memorial ceremony. Pahlavi, a critic of the Islamic Republic said that in "a free future Iran, Bahá'ís will have the opportunity to participate in the reconstruction and development of the country once again, with full and equal citizenship rights." [IranWire] iiiii
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Reza Shah Pahlavi; - Bahá'í World Centre |
2023 11 Apr 202- |
After the trial, Fariba Kamalabadi, tried with Mahvash Sabet, was transferred to the women's ward for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. Sabet was kept at Ward 209 and transferred to the women's ward after 40 days, during which time nobody knew what had happened to her.
Independent Iranian news sources reported that Mahvash Sabet Shahriari was said to have had her knees injured while under interrogation by officials in Evin jail. Evin prison is often called the "world's worst prison". It has a reputation for its inhumane living conditions, where inmates are subjected to daily whippings, beatings and torture. Former inmates have previously spoken about the barbaric horrors they witnessed while in Evin- including electrocution, rape, torture and executions. [Daily Mail 11 April 2023] IranWire received an audio file from Faezeh Hashemi, a political activist and daughter of late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, herself jailed in Evin but briefly released on a leave of absence, spoke about her cellmates. "Mahvash recounts that during an interrogation the interrogator kicked the chair from under her and, since she was facing the wall, her knees hit the wall. Now, they have X-rayed her in prison and told her that the bones in her knees are broken. She is in such a condition, 70 years old, innocent and in prison only because she is a Baha'i," Hashemi said in the recording. People close to Fariba and Mahvash believe that the delay in transferring Mahvash to the women's ward was most likely because of her broken knees, since interrogators wanted to keep it a secret and kept her in solitary confinement until she could walk. [IranWire 31 July 2023] |
* Persecution, Iran; Mahvash Sabet; Tehran, Iran; Iran |
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