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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.
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• 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] |
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