A Bahá'í Glossary
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Bahá'í Chronology - The Universal House of Justice - 160 B.E. (A.D. 2003-2004)
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< 159 B.E. | 161 B.E. >
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[ 24 Articles ]
• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 4 April A.D. 2003
• A.M.
Given current conditions in the world the Ninth International Convention was cancelled. It had been scheduled for 29 April to 2 May. Ballots from the National Spiritual Assembly members were mailed to the World Centre. The 19 delegates that had been chosen as tellers travelled to the World Centre to count the votes. [BW'02-‘03pg37-38, BWNS202]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• Ridvan A.D. 2003
• A.M.
"In response to the call issued by the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, 185 design concepts have been received from architects and designers around the world for the Mother Temple of South America to be constructed in Santiago." [Riḍván 2003 To the Bahá'ís of the World]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 27 April A.D. 2003
• A.M.
Bahá'ís from the north and south of Cyprus met when they were permitted to cross the demarcation line that had divided the island for three decades. The event followed the decision by the Turkish Cypriot authorities to lift the ban on travel across the cease-fire line. Some 60 Turkish and Greek Bahá'ís held a devotional meeting together at the Bahá'í center in Nicosia. [BWNS216]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 28 April A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The retirement of Mr. Ali Nakhjavani and Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam from the Universal House of Justice. Both had served since the inception of the Universal House of Justice in 1963. They are replaced by Mr. Hartmut Grossmann and Dr. Firaydoun Javaheri. [BWNS208]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 29 April A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The election of the Universal House of Justice by postal ballot by 1,544 electors from 178 countries. Chosen were Hartmut Grossmann and Firaydoun Javaheri to replace retiring members Mr. Nakhjavani, 83, and Mr. Fatheazam, 79 and re-elected were Farzam Arbab, Kiser Barnes, Hooper Dunbar, Peter K̲h̲án, Douglas Martin, Glenford Mitchell and Ian Semple. [One Country Vol.15 Issue1, BWNS207]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• May A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The announcement by the Universal House of Justice of the appointment of Siamak Hariri of Toronto, Canada, as architect of the Baha'i Temple to be built near Santiago in Chile. [BWNS223]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 9 May A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The passing of David Hofman in England.
  • He was one of the nine elected members of the Universal House of Justice when that institution came into being in 1963.
  • He presented the first statement from the supreme Baha'i administrative body in April that year to the World Congress in London. Twenty-nine years later, in 1992, he delivered the opening address to the second Baha'i World Congress in New York, an event attended by some 30,000 people.
  • He served as a member of the Universal House of Justice for 25 years, until he left in 1988 at the age of 80. [BWNS209, BW'03-‘04pg234, UK Bahá'í Journal]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• June A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The publication of Minimalism: A Bridge between Classical Philosophy and the Bahá'í Revelation by Dr. William Hatcher. In it he offers a logical proof for the existence of God. He concludes that the application of the principles of relational logic to this question prove that there is a single, universal, and eternal First Cause — something that is very much like God the Creator as named in all of the world's major religions. [BWNS226]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 1 June A.D. 2003
• A.M.
A fatwa was issued by the Mufti of Sabah State Government that declared that the Bahá'í teachings were deviant teachings and that Muslims were forbidden all involvement including the practice of the Faith and the holding of any literature or other material. [Fatwa]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 20 June A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The passing of Ursula Samandari at her pioneering post in Buea, Cameroon.
  • Ursula Newman, her maiden name, was born in Mitcham, Surrey, England on December 29, 1909. In 1953 she and Dr. Mihdi Samandari moved to Nairobi, Kenya, and a year later went to live in Mogadishu, Somalia where they stayed until 1971. At the request of the Universal House of Justice, they had pioneered to Cameroon. [BWNS230, BW'03-‘04pg237]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• July A.D. 2003
• A.M.
His Royal Highness Prince Andrew has become the first member of the Royal Family to visit the National Bahá'í Centre in London. [The referenced web site has since ceased operation.]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 25 July A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The passing of Elisabeth Charlotte (Lottie) Tobias while on her way home to Voorburg from a summer school held in De Poort. She was described by the National Spiritual Assembly as being the "mother" of the Netherlands Baha'i community. [BW03-04p238]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 22 August A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The passing of Ruth Pringle in Ciudad, Costa Rica at the age of 83 after 5 decades of service to the Faith, 2 decades as on the Continental Board of Counsellors. [BWNS250, BW'03-‘04pg236]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 29 / 31 August A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The celebration of the Jubilee of the opening of the Faith in the Republic of the Congo was commemorated in Brazzaville by 200 attendees. It was in 1953 that Ali and Violette Nakhjavani dropped off pioneer Max Kanyerezi in Brazzaville in the Middle Congo as it was then called, subsequently the "French Congo" and now "The Republic of...".

All Bahá'í activities were suspended by law from 1978 until 1992 when a democratically elected government replaced the Communist regime. The new government granted legal recognition of the Faith. During the years 1992 to 2003 the country endured two civil wars which further disrupted activity. There are now 20 local spiritual assemblies. [BWNS246]

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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• Autumn A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The publication of History of Bahá'ísm in Iran by Abdullah Shahbazi, the then head of the Political Studies and Research Institute, part of the Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies. In his book he advanced the theory of the alliance between Bahá'ísm and Zionism. [Iran Press Watch1407]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 6 / 7 September A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The celebration of the Jubilee of the opening of the Faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was commemorated in Kinshasa by some 600 participants. Among those at the celebrations in the capital were three of the first Congolese Baha'is: Louis Selemani, 81, Remy Kalonji, 83, and Valerien Mukendi, 83. One guest who could not make it was Ola Pawlowska, 93, though she participated in the celebrations by sending from her home in Canada a message of congratulations and love to a community to which she devoted three decades of her life. Guests of honour at the jubilee included Mr. Nakhjavani, former member of the Universal House of Justice, and Mrs. Nakhjavani, as well as Joan Lincoln, counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre, and Albert Lincoln, secretary-general of the Baha'i International Community. All four had spent many years as pioneers in Africa.

Active teaching in the area began in 1953. Before that time, colonial authorities did not permit the promotion of the Faith and that is when Ali Nakhjavani and his wife, Violette, driving across Africa from Uganda, took Ugandan Baha'i Samson Mungongo to the city of Kamina. The first local assembly was formed in 1957 and the National Assembly was inaugurated in 1970. This event also marked the first time the National Spiritual Assembly had been able to meet in Kinshasa since 1998 because of the war. [BWNS248]

  • For further details on the development of the Faith in the DRC see Legacy of Courage: The Life of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Suzanne Schuurman.
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 26 November A.D. 2003
• A.M.
The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Ali Akbar Furútan in Haifa at the age of 98. [BWNS261, BW'03-‘04pg227]
  • Born in Sabzivar, Iran, on 29 April 1905.
  • Moved with his family to Ashgabat in what was then Russian Turkestan (now part of Turkmenistan), and, through his years of school and university, he took an active part in the work of the Baha'i communities of Ashgabat, Baku, Moscow, and other parts of Russia.
  • In 1930 expelled from the Soviet Union during the Stalinist persecution of religion and from that time on played an ever more significant role in the work and administration of the Iranian Baha'i community. [BW03-04p227-230]
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
  • For a tribute from the Universal House of Justice see message of 27 November, 2003.
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 16 December A.D. 2003
• A.M.
Shirin Ebadi, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the first Muslim woman to win the coveted distinction.
  • For a long time she has fought for the rights of women and children in Iran and it is most fitting that she, a woman lawyer who dared to speak out against the sexist Iranian regime, be praised and recognised by the world.
  • She is an author and also the founder of the Association for Support of Children's Rights in Iran. [Nobel Peace Prize 2003]
  • In 2002 she founded the Defender of Human Rights Center and in 2009 she was forced to flee into exile.
__________ __________
• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• A.D. 2004
• A.M.
General Register Office in Northern Ireland has officially recognised the Baha'i Faith as a legitimate religion with authority to marry its members. Dr. Beman Khosravi has been appointed as official Baha'i Marriage Officer. The first marriage took place in Cullybackey between Carmen Zambrana Candel and John Twiname. [The Belfast Telegraph 28 April, 2004]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• In the year A.D. 2004
• A.M.
The 2004 Circular 49/2004 issued by the Ministry of the Interior specifically instructed officials to refrain from providing cards to anyone other than Muslims, Christians and Jews. In particular, it effectively forced practicing Bahá'í into a limbo when registering for personal documents. As Egyptian citizens are required to include their religious affiliation and the Bahá'í faith is not officially recognized, unlike Islam, Christianity and Judaism, practicing Bahá'í were not able to secure official status. [Minority Right website]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• February A.D. 2004
• A.M.
In Babul, Iran, the destruction of the gravesite of Quddús, a house-like structure that marked the resting place of Mullá Muḥammad-'Ali Barfurushi, was began and halted temporarily after local Bahá'ís demanded to see a legal permit for the demolition work. Later it was discovered that the dismantling of the gravesite had continued surreptitiously over a period of days until the structure was entirely demolished despite protests from Bahá'ís at the local, national, and international levels.
  • This measure came soon after the international community failed to offer a resolution on the human rights situation in Iran at the United Nations. [One Country Vol.15 Issue 4]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 7 February A.D. 2004
• A.M.
In Babul, Iran, the destruction of the gravesite of Quddús, a house-like structure that marked the resting place of Mullá Muḥammad-'Ali Barfurushi, was began and halted temporarily after local Bahá'ís demanded to see a legal permit for the demolition work. Later it was discovered that the dismantling of the gravesite had continued surreptitiously over a period of days until the structure was entirely demolished despite protests from Bahá'ís at the local, national, and international levels.
  • This measure came soon after the international community failed to offer a resolution on the human rights situation in Iran at the United Nations. [One Country Vol.15 Issue 4]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• A.D. 2004
• A.M.
The release of Mr. Bihnam Mithaqi and Mr. Kayvan Khalajabadi who had been imprisoned on April 29, 1989, for "association with Baha'i institutions."
  • They were both originally sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, but upon appeal, their sentences were commuted to three years' imprisonment plus 50 lashes. Both prisoners appealed this decision, and on April 30, 1991, the Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced them to death. On February 18, 1996, the Supreme Court of Iran rejected numerous appeals and confirmed the death sentences. In February 2001, after further judicial reviews, the chief of the judicial branch reduced their sentences to 15 years in prison and set February 2004 for their release. [Referenced web site has ceased operation. Human Rights Watch (some dates differ from this source)]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 11 February A.D. 2004
• A.M.
A member of the British Baha'i community, Lois Hainsworth, received the award of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) at Buckingham Palace.
  • The announcement of the award for services to three organizations that promote the rights of women was made in the United Kingdom's New Year's Honours List. The citation refers to Mrs. Hainsworth's services to the Women's National Commission, the Baha'i Office for the Advancement of Women, and UNIFEM UK. [BWNS273]
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• 160 B.E.
• A.H.
• 12 February A.D. 2004
• A.M.
The launch of the Web site for the temple to be constructed in Chile. temple.cl.bahai.org [BWNS279, BWNS223]
 
[ABBC Online]
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< 159 B.E. | 161 B.E. >
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Most of the Gregorian Calendar dates, A.H. 1166 (A.D. 1753) to 153 B.E (A.D. 1996), are from the original book, A Basic Bahá'í Chronology. From 153 B.E (A.D. 1996) to present the Gregorian Calendar dates are from A Basic Bahá'í Chronology online. The Hebrew, Islamic and Bahá'í dates were calculated by the ABG staff and may be subject to error, despite the great care that was taken. When the Gregorian date is "In the year", "c. Mar 1797", etc., we list the nearest approximate Hebrew, Islamic and Bahá'í dates.
 
Notes:
  • The dates in the left column do not always match the dates in the text. This is due to the plethora of calculations and calculators available. We use the calendar conversions from Calendar Home - Convert a date.
  • Continuous time periods, e.g., Monday thru Friday or June thru August, are annotated as Monday / Friday and June / August rather than Monday-Friday and June-August in all four calendars. This is to avoid confusion with Islamic days and months which contain a hyphen (or dash), e.g. Yawm ath-Thulatha', Jumadá al-akhirah.
  • Date Format = Day of the Week Name, Day of the Month Number, Month Name, Year Number -
  • c. = circa - meaning: "Around, round about, about. The prep. is often used in Eng. with dates, as circa 1400 (c 1400)." (Oxford English Dictionary)
  • Items with a greenish background are publications 
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A Bahá'í Glossary
 
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