Lisa Campbell lights the menorah with son Kalim

With the Baha’i Faith being the newest of the world’s independent religions (it began in 1844), many Baha’is come from family backgrounds where other spiritual traditions were embraced and celebrated. So, when winter holidays, such as Christmas and Hanukkah, come each year, many Baha’is are asked, “Do you still celebrate these holidays even though you’re now a Baha’i?”

We checked in with Lisa Campbell, a Baha’i from San Francisco, Calif., who was born to a Jewish Father and Christian Mother.  “I grew up with all the holidays of both religions–all of my Christian cousins would light Hanukkah candles with my brother and me if Christmas dinner fell during Hanukkah,” Campbell shares.

It was in college at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where Campbell first learned of the Baha’i Faith and after investigating its claims made the decision to join in 1995. While Campbell waits with her fellow Baha’is for Ayyam-i-Ha to come between February 26 and March 1, a holiday that is devoted to spiritual preparation for the Baha’i Fast, celebrating, hospitality, charity and gift giving, she shares that she still enjoys celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah with her family.

“I’ve been a Baha’i for over 15 years now, and I think I’m a lot less stressed out about any sort of “conflict” with the December holidays than I used to be, probably because my faith has grown over time and I feel more secure in my Baha’i identity. I’m also very lucky that my extended family is very accepting of our Faith and puts unity above all else,” Campbell states.

Kalim with his grandfather

Campbell’s husband, Chris, shares the same sentiments. “He grew up in a Christian family that always had big holiday celebrations,” she shares. After learning about the Baha’i Faith from his stepfather, a Persian Baha’i, Chris joined the Faith right after his 21st birthday.

Now Campbell and her husband have a two year old son, Kalim, and they’re passing on the spirit of each of their family’s holidays. “This is the first year he’s been aware of the December holidays,” she notes.

“We travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles to visit my family and my in-laws, which makes it a bit easier to separate Christmas and Hanukkah from our Baha’i traditions at home. Our son will receive many gifts and enjoy the Christmas tree and lighting the menorah with his grandparents, and I’m excited that he can share that with them. For us, it’s much more about family than religion, though I hope that one day my son can understand the spiritual origins of these holidays and learn to tune out the materialistic message.”

She concludes, “My husband, son, and I will participate in Christmas and Hanukkah as much as we feel comfortable, with the goal of staying close to our families and making our mothers happy, leaving all the rest. And, as ever, resolving to make Ayyam-i-Ha as special as possible!”

__________________
Reprinted with permission from the Baha’is of the United States
(see U.S. Baha’i News)

The nine elected members of the Portland Spiritual Assembly at the time of incorporation (1939) are shown here.

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Portland, Oregon incorporated on April 5, 1939 as a “non-profit” for religious activity. This was done in response to a goal set by Shoghi Effendi, (great-grandson of Baha’u’llah and Guardian of the Baha’i Faith) for local spiritual assemblies in communities greater than 15 members to establish themselves as legal entities capable of making contracts and owning property. A copy of the Portland Assembly’s incorporation papers was displayed by Shoghi Effendi on a kiosk placed just outside the room that had been occupied by Bahá’u'lláh at the Mansion of Bahji. Since Bahá’ís preserve that Mansion as decorated by Shoghi Effendi, that copy will remain as it is for centuries to come.

There has been an entity known as the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Portland, Oregon since November 25, 1906 when 13 newly declared Baha’is met and signed a joint declaration letter to Abdu’l-Baha, which was hand-delivered by J.H. Fisk to Abdu’l-Baha while on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Interestingly He replied on June 14, 1907 recognizing the formation of the Spiritual Assembly in Portland, OR listing 18 names, not all the same as those who had signed the letter the previous November.

The first “Spiritual Assembly” originated out of public meetings at the Auditorium on 3rd and Taylor in downtown Portland organized by “Colonel” Nathan Ward Fitz-Gerald in March 1906. Colonel Fitz-Gerald was born on March 4, 1844 in Ripley County, Indiana. His mother was a devoted Millerite, a denomination of Christians who believed that according to Biblical prophecies as interpreted by William Miller, Christ would return in the year 1844. Thus, during the time he was in the womb of his mother, her thoughts were fervently centered on the subject of the coming of the Lord due at approximately the same time as her baby boy. Fitz-Gerald himself attributes his “mental make-up” to his mother’s passionate expectation during his gestation. Some of his earliest memories are of sitting at her knees hearing her speak of the promised Millennium when God would reign on earth turning it into Paradise.[1]

Fitz-Gerald served in the Union Army for about 3 months in 1864, just long enough apparently to later claim the rank of “Colonel.” Following his military service he attended Indiana University and then turned to study for the ministry. He became enamored of the calculations of an English Biblical scholar, Dr. John Cumming, that Christ would return in June 1869. From 1866, Fitz-Gerald actively taught Christians to expect Christ’s return on that date, but when that month came and went with no visible results, he became disillusioned and turned agnostic for the next 25 years. He changed his career to law, practicing in Washington D.C. with Colonel Robert Ingersoll, the most famous agnostic in the United States during the nineteenth century. He even lectured on behalf of agnosticism. This did not satisfy the spiritual yearnings of his soul, and after suffering poverty and the loss of family and friends through death and estrangement, particular the death of one of his three daughters at the tender age of 18, he directed his attention once again to spiritual matters and began investigating every sect, denomination, cult, or “ism” he could find. By January 1902, he came across the Bahá’í Faith and began regularly attending meetings organized by Charles Mason Remey. On April 29, 1902, he received a tablet from Abdu’l-Bahá strongly encouraging him to teach the Bahá’í Faith:

As to thee, strengthen thou thy back to spread that Spirit and diffuse that Light and arise to serve the Cause of God in His vineyard….Truly I say unto thee, if thou be steadfast in this Cause and arise with all thy power to promote the Word in those parts, and if thou render thine utmost efforts in breathing the Spirit of Life into the hearts of the righteous, thou wilt find thyself assisted by the angels of heaven and the hosts of the Supreme Concourse… [2]

Since Fitz-Gerald believed ‘Abdul-Bahá was the Lord returned to the earth as promised by Christ, he surely must have been thrilled at receiving such a message. He immediately arose and began lecturing on the Bahá’í Faith in Baltimore. Sometime in 1904, he moved to Tacoma, Washington. Later that year or early in 1905, he went on pilgrimage and though there is no known writing from him of that experience, he did receive a second tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after his return:

In sooth, thou hast arisen to perform that which thou didst promise! Blessed shall be thy condition. … Remember it [your pilgrimage] always, and arise to proclaim the Divine Teachings, explaining the proofs and arguments, and bearing the glad tidings and promises of this Manifestation: and always be assured that the Divine Confirmations will continuously reach thee, so that thou mayest be the cause of the lighting of the candle, of the Love of God, in that land of America …[3]

He indeed came back from his pilgrimage on fire with the love of his Lord. He boldly requested an audience with the Tacoma Minister’s Alliance. In April 1905 he was granted 15 minutes to speak to a gathering of 70 ministers to share the “great and glorious news of the fulfillment of prophecy and establishment of God’s Kingdom.” Stony-faced they listened, cutting him off at exactly 15 minutes after he started with no response to this great announcement. Undaunted, Fitz-Gerald gave up his job and began lecturing full-time throughout the state of Washington and the San Francisco Bay area, giving 188 lectures in only 7 months, a pace of almost a lecture per day. For many of these lectures, he paid to rent lecture halls out of his own funds, but as he became known, he received many invitations to speak at churches, societies, and clubs.

He also found time to publish a book, The New Revelation: Its Marvelous Message, which he distributed at his talks. It was a collection of newspaper articles, transcription of talks by Isabella Brittingham and himself, a few translations of the Hidden Words by Bahá’u'lláh, basically representing everything Fitz-Gerald knew about the Faith at the time. He dedicated it to his mother. In November 1905, he also started what was intended to be a periodical, The Old and New, but he never got around to publishing a second issue. Of greatest interest in that one issue was the text of his address to the ministers of Tacoma. It included advertisements for various healing products, as well as his own book. Perhaps the lapse in publishing a second issue resulted from his correspondence with Bahá’ís in Chicago to whom he had requested financial support for the publication. They wrote back a loving letter, but noted that they had recently received a tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the inadvisability of sending out published material without prior approval. [4]

This is the building where Fitz-Gerald gave his lectures on the Baha'i Faith.

In March 1906, Fitz-Gerald came to Portland, Oregon to proclaim the new message. He brought with him, an enthusiastic new convert to the Faith he had taught in Seattle, Hyde Dunn. Years later, Hyde and his wife Clara moved to the Antipodes and founded the Bahá’í communities of Australia and New Zealand. Their services and character led them to be named by the Guardian as Hands of the Cause of God. Fitz-Gerald rented an auditorium on the fourth story of building at 3^rd and Taylor.

He managed to interest the Oregonian newspaper to publish articles on his public meetings proclaiming the Return of Christ, the first appearing on the Friday before the first meeting held on Sunday, March 11, 1906. In those days, newspapers were the primary, if not the only source of news, and anything and everything was reported. The daily papers were as large, if not larger than today’s Sunday editions. There was no television or radio, and few venues of entertainment. Public lectures were a very popular form of entertainment for the educated classes, and so a lecture on the provocative subject of the appearance of the Messiah in the Middle East, particularly when proclaimed by one well-known as a former advocate of agnosticism, engendered a great deal of curiosity. Who would not be curious to hear a free lecture as described by the article in the Oregonian under the headline “Calls Him Messiah” as follows:

To know that Christ has returned to earth in exact accordance with the prophecies of the Bible, to have met, talked and supped with him, is what Colonel Nathan Ward Fitzgerald, poet, author and one-time agnostic, who is now in Portland, claims he has done, and he has come here to bring the message of the Master’s presence in the City of Acca, Palestine. Colonel Fitzgerald visited the Orient at the invitation of Baha Ulla [sic], to whom he had written for information concerning Bahaism. When he came into the presence of the man who has 5,000,000 followers in the world today he says he knew that the Messiah had come. He will give his message to Portland Sunday afternoon in the Auditorium on Third street. There is no charge – not even a collection. The speaker claims he has been inspired with the message of the Master and it is his mission to give it to all who will hear.
Oregonian, March 9, 1906, p. 5

The venue was packed, and on the following Monday, the Oregonian published a lengthy article on the lecture under the headline, “Son of Bahai Ulla [sic]” that described the audience and its reaction, or rather lack of reaction to the message proclaimed by Fitz Gerald, complimented him on his ability as a speaker, and re-stated his message for the reading public as follows:

The story of the new Christ which Colonel Nathan Ward Fitz Gerald told to a capacity audience at the Third Street Auditorium yesterday afternoon was received quietly, earnestly, but without demonstration. The large gathering was composed of that class of citizens who are searchers or seekers after the new, the unknown. They listened politely, giving most courteous and significant attention to every word which fell from the lips of the gifted lecturer, but gave no outward indication of the impression the message of the new revelation made upon them.

Colonel Fitz Gerald is a good speaker. Nature has endowed him with a commanding appearance and an eloquent tongue. He is using both in the interests of the new Messiah, who, he claims, is now on earth and whom he declares he has seen and communed with. The Bible has been one of the principal textbooks in the finished education of theis man, and he used it as a King does a scepter during his address.

The story which he told is one to delight the heart of the novelist. It made one wonder if the Polish novelist might not follow his “Quo Vadis?” with another equally impressive and wonderful tale of that same Christ come to earth again. Colonel Fitz Gerald, however, did not attempt to picture the alleged Messiah in lurid tones and shades. He was deeply earnest in his conviction that the Lord was present in the person of the son of Bahal Ulla [sic], now in the City of Acca, Syria. He professed to having led a varied life himself, having been raised in a Catholic family, converted to Protestantism and entering its ministry. This he left, feeling that the prophecies of the Bible were not to be substantiated, and became a pronounced agnostic. It was as an unbeliever and scoffer of things divine that he began an investigation of the man at Acca, who was drawing followers to the number of millions by some strange power. He wrote directly to the alleged Messiah, and after a lengthy correspondence he was invited to come to Acca, which he did. Once in the presence of him whom Christians, Jews, Mohammedan, Buddhists, Confucians and all other sects in Acca acknowledge as Christ, Colonel Fitz Gerald declares that he was instantly changed into a believer; that he know the Lord had come to his people, and that life had a new meaning for him after that.

He based his assertions on the statements of historians and all the prophecies of the Bible, wherein it is told 72 times the manner of the Lord’s return to earth. ‘This kingdom will swallow up all other kingdoms, or religions of the earth,’ he said, and it is for every man who has bowed his head or bent his knee in any kind of worship.’[sic]

The new Lord is said to have been born May 23, 1844, the day on which the Millerites predicted the millennium. ‘They had the date right,’ said the lecturer, ‘but not the time or place. The father of the newly accepted Christ was Bahal Ulla[sic], who was the early manifestation of God, the father. His coming was heralded by a descendant of Mohammed, who according to his own prophecy, was crucified seven years after he began to proclaim the coming of Christ. The new Christ does not proclaim himself as such, but modestly calls himself a servant of God, but there is that about him,’ declared Colonel Fitz Gerald, ‘which convinces all who come into his presence that there is no doubt of his genuineness.’[5]

In view of the fact that the doors had to be closed on the crowd and that many were turned away who desired to hear the lecture, Colonel Fitz Gerald will probably repeat it before leaving Portland. He is also scheduled to give lectures on Colonel Robert Ingersoll, whose law partner he once was and an illustrated one on Persia.[6]

Oregonian, March 12, 1906, p. 13

Fitz-Gerald presented two more lectures in the same venue over the next two Sundays, each followed by Oregonian articles on the following Mondays (p.3 on 3/19/1906, and p.9 on 3/26/1906). Astounding to present day readers, newspapers prior to the mid-twentieth century considered Sunday sermons and public lectures to be newsworthy, and articles on Fitz-Gerald’s lectures appear on pages containing detailed reports on the sermons given in various churches on the previous day. The article on the third meeting reported that the audience filled the auditorium as it had the previous two lectures, and that some in the audience this time tried to engage in argument over prophecies with the speaker, who “did not seem inclined to argue the question with them.”

At the meetings he organized in the Pacific Northwest, Fitz-Gerald provided postcards pre-addressed to the House of Spirituality in Chicago, upon which persons interested in learning more of the Bahá’í Faith could make their inquiries. These postcards from the Pacific Northwest began pouring into the mail for the Bahá’ís in Chicago. Inquiries from Portland numbered about sixty. The task of following up and contacting all these interested souls on the far west side of the continent fell to Thornton Chase, the first American believer. He was in a unique position to do so, since his work as a salesman gave him some latitude to arrange business travel that would allow him to serve in spreading the Faith as well. He was not able to arrange travel to Portland until the fall of 1906. Early in November he wrote to the House of Spirituality in Chicago that he had been able to find about 20 “good ones” in Portland among those who had sent these postcards, and had arranged meetings to explain what it meant to be a Bahá’í and how to organize a community. The new believers in Portland were excited to find out that a Holy Day known as the Day of the Covenant was coming up on November 25^th, and they decided it would be an auspicious day on which to organize the believers in Portland into a community. They met in the law offices of J.H. Fisk to compose and sign the letter described at the beginning of this article. From that day to the present there has always been a strong community of believers in Portland, which makes it one of the oldest existing Bahá’í communities in the world.

[1] Robert H. Stockman, The Bahá’í Faith in America, Vol. 2, p. 194

[2] Translated by Ali Kuli Khan and published in Tablets of ‘Abdul-Bahá Abbas, Vol. 1, pp.197-8

[3] Robert H. Stockman, The Bahá’í Faith in America, Vol. 2, p. 196

[4] Ibid., pp. 197-8

[5] The statements attributed to Fitz Gerald by this reporter show the confusion many early believers, particularly those in America had over the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who indeed, as acknowledged in the lecture, never claimed to have a rank other than a “servant” of God. It was Baha’u’llah who had the station of the Manifestation of God who revealed the Word of God, not His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

[6] Fitz Gerald incongruously offered these lectures on a famous agnostic and travelogue probably as a way to help fund his travels by charging admission.

As I took out the trash during an early October night,
The Oregon clouds mysteriously cleared, skies turning bright.
I looked up, my eyes captured by the unceasing twinkling above
When suddenly, in a rush of heartbeats, I could feel the Creator’s love
Engulfing my consciousness, the core of my being, igniting my heart,
As I sensed the Glory of God in this immensity of which I’m a tiny part.

With time seeming to stand still in the face of a vastness of this scope,
Images came to mind captured recently by humanity’s Hubble Telescope
Images that were birthed from galaxies an incredible 13 billion years ago,
Expanding the estimated size of the universe to 100 billion galaxies all aglow
Sustained in their existence second by second as I stood there spellbound,
By the Power and Glory at Whose behest we are all loved and bound.

Ever since I took out the trash during that unforgettable October night
I strive through word and deed to keep the love in my heart burning bright.
Though I am but a minuscule piece of dust, the Creator made me aware,
That across endless expanses of time and space flows his unceasing care
Teaching us that eon after eon, material reality signifies His loving embrace
Calling us to love Him by loving each other regardless of what faith and race.

© Copyright 2011 Venustiano Olguín – All Rights Reserved

William House, retired medical doctor, became a Baha'i at 87 years old.

Long before he became a doctor, William House learned some things about truth.

“In my church, they were preaching that every word of the Bible was literally true,” he recalls. “They told us about Adam and Eve, and that the earth had been created in a week, sometime around 4004 BC.

“I wasn’t entirely sure that was right, but I remember reading the New Testament when I was about 14 and I decided that I wanted to live like Christ. I wanted to help people.

“Then in high school I had an argument with my biology teacher about evolution. Of course, I started by saying what I had learned in church, but he showed me what Darwin said and the evidence he gathered.

“I really felt I had no choice but to accept that evolution made sense. But I still wanted to live a life of service.”

Indeed he did, becoming a dentist. And when he discovered that he needed more scope for the work he wanted to do, he gained his MD degree and made excellent use of it.

He became perhaps the world’s pre-eminent otologist (ear doctor) and a world-class surgeon. He established the field of medicine now known as neuro-otology, developing new surgical approaches to gain safe access to structures deep in the skull, and becoming famous for pioneering work in cochlear implants.

He developed a treatment for Ménière’s disease, which causes terrible dizziness. (One of his first patients was astronaut Alan Shepard, who would not have been able to go to the moon otherwise.)

He gained further renown for revolutionizing the surgical and medical treatment of acoustic neuroma tumors and for a large number of medical innovations.

Now, at 87 years old, House has become a Baha’i.

In 1975 his son David became a believer, and they discussed the Faith many times.

“David never put any pressure on me to accept it, but it just made sense, like evolution. I remember telling him during one of our talks that, yes, Baha’u’llah is the promised Return of Christ. But I was busy with life and I didn’t see any reason to take any other step.

“Then I retired and moved up to Oregon so my wife, June, and I could live on David’s land. After 63 years of marriage, June passed away.”

David House could see that he was grieving, so he gave his father a compilation on the Baha’i vision of life after death. William House found himself studying it intensively; it was a great comfort.

The two of them formed the habit of going to a local monthly fireside (introductory) meeting at the home of Farah and Tulsi Ramchandani, where House learned more about the Faith, and formed many friendships with the Baha’is.

“There is a lovely, non-verbal, unspoken quality about him,” Farah Ramchandani said recently. “I think this is something that is due to his life of service. It’s in his spirit, in his blood, in his soul.

“He not only expresses himself from his knowledge and education, but he also speaks of his love for mankind, for his family, for his wife. And he’s very kind. All of this was very much evident in him.”

One evening shortly after his autobiography The Struggles of a Medical Innovator was published, House was among the last to leave the fireside.

Farah again offered her condolences on the passing of his wife, and then offered a prayer for the departed. He was very moved. She gave him a Baha’i registration card. He took it home.

It was an Ecclesiastes moment. “It just became time,” House said. He decided to continue to follow truth wherever it led him, to serve, to love.

So on July 26th, 2011, William House — healer, author, inventor, father, husband — declared his belief in Baha’u’llah and joined the Baha’i community.

A few weeks later, his son asked him to listen to a song that he found inspiring: “Holy Now,” by Peter Mayer.

The song tells a story of a child’s disappointment because there were no longer any miracles, like water into wine. And it goes on to say that these days, wherever the singer looks, he sees beauty and miracles: for him, everything is holy now.

House’s response? “You know, David. We should do a fireside on this. This would make a great fireside.” They called Ramchandani.

"The People With No Camel," by Roya Movafegh, recounts the journey of a Baha'i family fleeing persecution in Iran.

October 25, 2010

Even as a child, Roya Movafegh knew her story had to be told—a family’s perilous journey through the Pakistani desert, fleeing religious persecution in Iran.

As Bahá’ís, there was no question what their fate would be if they were discovered and returned to Iran, where more than 200 Bahá’ís were killed in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and thousands more imprisoned, tortured, and barred from employment and education.

“I knew that I was going to have to write the story down,” Movafegh said. “That was a promise that I made to myself as a 10 year-old during the escape. It was a gift to my family because I didn’t want us to forget.”

Now a multimedia artist based in New York City and co-founder of the Children’s Theater Company of New York, Movafegh says she never expected the story to finally emerge as a novel. For 20 years, she worked with photography, video and installation art before she finally switched to free-flow writing and couldn’t stop. After four years of intensive writing, her debut novel The People With No Camel was published in August 2010.

She explains the title in the preface to her book:

According to the laws of Sharia in Iran, if a Muslim man is murdered, his family may be compensated according to the price of one hundred camels. If the same crime is committed to a Muslim woman, her family is entitled to the price of fifty camels. If a Bahá’í is murdered, no camels apply.

I am of The People With No Camel.

Movafegh’s brave and imaginative novel combines the literary strengths of memoir and fantasy to paint a portrait of freedom that transcends her own experience as a religious refugee.

In 1981, her father refused to recant his faith in order to accept a promotion at the Ministry of Commerce. For this, he was fired and ordered to pay back three years’ salary, which the family could not afford. At that point, with news of Bahá’í arrests, executions and raids of Bahá’í homes increasing, the Movafeghs made the difficult decision to flee Iran forever.

Disguised as a Baluch family from Afghanistan, they packed into the back of a covered truck with several other refugees and bumped and bruised their way across the desert toward Pakistan. The hot, dusty stretch of unsettled land between Zahedan, Iran and Quetta, Pakistan was heavily patrolled by helicopters and riddled with security checkpoints. At each stop, Roya and the other children on board feigned sleep to hide their fear from the guards.

At last, under the cover of darkness, the group pushed their truck silently through a dried river bed into Pakistan.

Now we were lying in the back of a truck in the desert—now we were free. Only now, we were on the other side and could no longer know what awaited those we had left back home. Now I was my grandmother praying for those I had left behind.

My mind depleted, my body exhausted, I hid my emotions deep within, safely out of view, neatly out of touch.

I mustn’t miss a shooting star. I had counted sixteen thus far.

After a grueling train ride from Quetta to Lahore, the Movafeghs disappeared into the crowds of Pakistan’s major cities, living anonymously for fear of deportation. They took comfort in each other and other simple pleasures—fresh fruits no longer sold in Iran, a partly-clean hotel room, small toys from home—while anxiously preparing for the final leg of their journey: the flight to Europe.

On December 16, 1981, after six weeks of perilous travel, Roya, her parents and her younger brother, Joubin, were granted asylum in Germany. But the story does not end with their newly-found freedom.

“Had it just been a story about my family, I would not have published it,” Movafegh said of her book, which is categorized as ‘fiction-based on a true story’ because it includes the stories of other Iranian Bahá’ís she met in later years. “But the bigger picture was to have it be a voice, one of the voices, for what is happening in Iran.”

Halfway through, the novel switches to a parable about a young woman’s quest to save the forest that is her home. Through the mythical characters of Persian literature; including the wise Simurgh, the hero Rostam and many others, Movafegh critiques both the cruelty of Iran’s oppression and the hollow freedom she encountered later in life, as a young woman coming of age in the West.

After 10 months in Germany, the Movafeghs moved to the United States, first settling outside Philadelphia where Roya says she experienced the greatest culture shock. Culturally, Germany had been very similar to Austria, where she was born and lived for four years until her family moved back to Tehran in 1976—just three years before the revolution that would later force them to flee. But in Pennsylvania, Roya had to learn English, recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school, and attempt to blend in with the Iranian Hostage Crisis still fresh in most Americans’ minds.

“It was really hard for me to absorb what I had gone through.” Now, Movafegh said, “I don’t really feel there is one particular place I can call home, but at the same time I feel at home everywhere in the world because that’s the way I’ve had to adjust in my life.”

In Pennsylvania, Montreal and eventually New York, Roya began to notice glaring discrepancies between the freedom she was promised and the reality facing the continent’s racial and ethnic minorities.

“The fantasy section is a commentary on our concepts of freedom,” Movafegh explained, recalling an experience she had while encouraging a young African-American girl in Harlem to read her history homework. The girl was reluctant: “This is not my history,” she told Movafegh. “I know it’s not,” Roya replied, “but you have to read it so you can complete the grade, so you can go on to the next grade and the next and the next, so someday you can write your own history.”

“This is why when someone says, ‘You’re so lucky because you’re in a free country,’ I understand what they’re saying,” Movafegh said tearfully. “I understand what they mean. But let’s examine what we call freedom—freedom at whose expense?”

To Movafegh, the pursuit of true liberty is a spiritual quest. She hopes that, in addition to raising awareness about the ongoing persecution of Iran’s 300,000 Bahá’ís, The People With No Camel will inspire its readers to reflect on how to attain a more enduring freedom in their own lives.

“There are so many levels to freedom,” Movafegh said, “basic needs, shelter, the right to a profession…but there are also deeper levels of freedom. I wanted to leave the reader to contemplate that.”

Visit http://thepeoplewithnocamel.wordpress.com/ to learn more about the book. More information about the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran is available at http://iran.bahai.us.

__________________

Reprinted with permission from the Baha’is of the United States
(see U.S. Baha’i News)

Children learn about the virtues through music, art and other activities.

Children live in a society where their moral character is constantly tested with worldly desires, selfish thoughts, and vain imaginings. According to the US Surgeon General, almost one out of every three (sixteen to seventeen year olds) in the United States reports that he or she has participated in acts of serious violence. It would be beneficial to overcome these tests by instilling virtues in these youth. A virtue by definition is moral excellence, a character trait or quality valued as being always good in and in itself.

The Baha’i writings emphasize the importance of these virtues. During the summer, children have an opportunity to attend a Spiritual Virtues Camp. This year the camp took place during August 2 – 5 at the Beaverton Baha’i Center and consisted of children with ages ranging from 4 – 12 years. The goal of the camp is to serve humanity by supporting the moral and spiritual development among people of all cultures. The mission is to provide empowering strategies that inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life. Children were able to learn a range of virtues through creative workshops consisting of art work, music, and writing, just to name a few.

Several children were interviewed during the camp about their experiences. Children were asked what they enjoyed most about the camp. Camron replied, “How much fun we have and how many people we meet.” Saba responded by stating, “We get to have a lot of fun, while doing and learning a lot of things.”

When asked what is the most important virtue to you and why, Natash answered, “Helpfulness because it makes me happy to be able to help complete tasks.” Sanam, a youth volunteering at the camp stated, “I enjoy helping little kids learn new stuff.” For Sanam, sacrifice and patience were two of the most important virtues, because of her role as an older sister. She also enjoys volunteering her time to help. Among the youth interviewed, the most common virtue displayed by all of them was that of courtesy. Some quotes from the writings of Baha’u’llah were utilized to emphasize the importance of treating each other with courtesy:

“O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above all it is the prince of virtues…Who is illumined with the light of courtesy…hath indeed attained a sublime station.”
-Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 214

Courtesy means to be polite and to have good manners. It is being considerate of others. It is a way of speaking and acting with people which gives people a feeling of being valued and respected. “Please,” “Thank you,” “Excuse me” and “You’re welcome” are courteous expressions which let people know you appreciate them and care about their feelings. Courtesy brightens people’s lives. It helps to make life graceful.

Another wonderful virtue demonstrated by the children was that of joyfulness. According to Susan, the Virtues Camp Teacher for five to six year olds, and a long-time teacher of spiritual education classes, “Joy is what gives us wings! Joy makes us alive! Joy heightens all our senses and faculties! Joy is contagious! Children express joy so much more completely than adults…I love it!”

The virtues camp allows children to learn and practice virtues, such as joyfulness and courtesy, which helps build moral character. These virtues ultimately impact the citizens of a society. This in turn will help shape the future of children, as well as the rest of society. After attending the Virtues Camp, numerous children stated they want to continue practicing virtues by volunteering and doing community service projects. These types of positive activities promote harmonious relationships and keep children from being caught up in negative behaviors which affect so many children and youth today. It is necessary, therefore, to try to get as many children and youth as possible involved in the camp. In fact, there is always a need for volunteers who wish to offer their time and talent. Please feel free to contact the Beaverton Baha’i Center at (503) 646-1652 for more information.

Bonnie Hakert Konamauri, a Baha’i pioneer to the Solomon Islands answers questions about her pioneering work. (photo by Aref Heyrani)

By Venustiano Olguín

For the last three months, it has been an inspiration and an honor to get to know Bonnie Hakert Konamauri as she visits family and friends in Oregon and Montana during a short rest from her life’s work as a Baha’i pioneer in the Solomon Islands . At the beginning of her visit in July, Bonnie’s daughter and Beaverton Baha’i member, Julie Hakert, organized an evening event at the Beaverton Baha’i Center at which Bonnie presented a fascinating slideshow about her continuing life and work in the Solomon Islands, which now stands at 23 years.

Bonnie related that she and her husband, Edward (“Ed”), moved to Alaska in 1975. Bonnie, who had been working as a dental hygienist in Montana, continued working in her field in Alaska. Ed, who had been working as an architect in Montana since 1964, was selected to supervise the construction of Homer Hospital in Homer, Alaska. While in Alaska, Bonnie and Ed learned about and embraced the Baha’i Faith in 1977 and began to increase their knowledge and experience as Baha’is. The years passed and Ed’s work as an architect in Alaska was eventually going to end with the completion of the building of Homer Hospital. By that time, as Bonnie and Ed had begun to think about where they would go next, they began to contemplate pioneering for the Baha’i Faith somewhere in the world.

Serving the Faith in Alaska

During their years in Alaska Bonnie and Ed served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ridgeway, Alaska and had developed friendships with most of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, who then relayed to them a call for pioneers by the Universal House of Justice (UHJ). The UHJ is the international, elected governing council of the Faith, which has its seat at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Coincidentally, a request for more pioneers was made by some Iranian Baha’i pioneers, who had an architectural firm in the Solomon Islands.

Ed was offered a job by the architectural firm, which was great news, since it is common practice for Baha’i pioneers to find a way to be self-subsisting wherever in the world they are serving the Faith. At the same time, this meant that Bonnie would be able to devote herself fulltime to teaching the Faith once they moved to the Solomon Islands. The challenge faced by Bonnie and Ed was to sell their house in a timely manner. Despite being told by friends, “You’ll never sell it,” because the Alaskan economy was in a downward spiral at that point, they were able to sell the house in three months.

Leap to the Solomon Islands

In 1988, Bonnie and Ed moved to begin their new lives as Baha’i pioneers in the Solomon Islands, a leap of almost 6,000 miles from Alaska! The Solomon Islands, which form an independent country in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,000 miles northeast of Australia, consist of nearly 1,000 islands. Among these there are 7 major islands with a population of about 1,000,000. The nation’s capital, Honiara, with a population of about 70,000 is located on the island of Guadal-canal. Despite the British influence, only 1 to 2 percent of the population speaks English. Most speak a Melanesian pidgin dialect, and there are around 120 indigenous languages.

(Map: http://geography.howstuffworks.com/oceania-and-australia/geography-of-solomon-islands.htm)

Ed began to work for the architectural firm on one of the islands and Bonnie began teaching children’s classes and working with women in the Baha’i community. She earned a teaching credential from Solomon Island College of Higher Education when she was 52 years old and taught at a boarding school at the Provincial Secondary School and Waimapuru National Secondary School.

During this time, she says, she gained experience in fishing, “sleeping on the floor”, bouts with malaria, which she fought off ten times in five months, as well as learning how to evade rats and giant spiders. These challenges only strengthened her resolve to fulfill her commitment as a Baha’i pioneer.

Perseverance in the Face of Tests

In 1996, Bonnie faced a severe emotional test when Ed passed away. For a while, Bonnie thought of leaving the Solomon Islands, but her memories and a powerful dream about the pioneering work she had shared with Ed, convinced her to continue her work as a Pioneer.

Her resolve to stay was again tested starting in 2000 by two years of lawlessness that engulfed the Islands during which time she lost her home and her teaching pay became irregular. Peace was finally restored and celebrated with ceremonies where guns were ceremoniously destroyed. Despite these severe challenges, Bonnie has persevered in her pioneering work.

She served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bita’ama a village on the island of Malaita for 7 years. Currently, she is a volunteer working with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Solomon Islands as a resource person for children’s classes and a representative for the Baha’i Office for the Advancement of Women. Bonnie travels all over the Solomon Islands where Baha’i groups are located. She observes children’s classes, encourages their teachers, and makes sure that they have the necessary materials, as well as the proper training. She also meets with women, encouraging them to form official active women’s groups. Presently, Bonnie resides with other American Baha’i pioneers in Honiara on Guadalcanal.

In carrying out her work in the Solomon Islands, one of the biggest problems is that of transportation because of the oceanic distance between the islands and the lack of transportation on many islands. There are few roads on the major islands and people are transported by 2 and 3-ton trucks or tractor trailers. Otherwise, people walk or use boats or canoes.

Another challenge that Baha’is face in teaching the Faith in the Solomon Islands, is the presence of many large squatter settlements with people from other islands. This causes friction with the local tribes, who own the land, sometimes erupting in violence. Despite these hazards, Baha’i friends are holding children’s classes in some of these areas with often as many as 60 children attending.

Unstoppable Growth of the Faith Continues

“I will stay as long as I can put one foot ahead of the other.”
– Bonnie Hakert Konamauri, Baha’i pioneer to the Solomon Islands

Another indication of the growth of the Baha’i Faith in the Solomon Islands is that four “A” or Advanced Clusters have already been developed, as well as one “C” cluster. An “A” cluster consists of three or four Baha’i communities that have become self-sustaining, have active Local Spiritual Assemblies, and have coordinators to guide the major activities of the Faith in the cluster. “A” Clusters carry on active programs that to build a spiritual identity in their communities with devotional programs, children’s classes, and junior youth groups that include both Baha’is and individuals of other spiritual orientations. These clusters periodically organize Intensive Programs of Growth inviting the general public to learn about the Baha’i Faith and join in the community-building activities.

In carrying on her work with such discipline and commitment, Bonnie follows in the footsteps of a growing number of Baha’i pioneers who have made it possible for the Baha’i Faith to become the second most widespread world religion only 150 years after its inception.

In the Solomon Islands, the Baha’i Faith first made its appearance on March 1, 1954. The first Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1957 and the first National Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1971. Today there are 28 Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the Solomon Islands.

When asked how long she plans to pioneer in the Solomon Islands, Bonnie replied with a smile, ““I will stay as long as I can put one foot ahead of the other.”

I went to the mosque today and was greeted by kind, generous people.

I slipped off my shoes at the door and my daughter did the same. We entered a room full of shining faces and warm hearts.

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
~ Bahá’u'lláh

We came from all corners of the city to join our Moslem brothers and sisters. We came from every faith and no faith. Christians, Jews, Baha’is, Moslems, individuals from all walks of life–sharing good food and great stories.

We came to learn about one another, to honor each other, to celebrate our wonderful diversity. We came to stand together in harmony. We came to work together for peace and understanding.

We came to reaffirm that we are all one people, one human family.

~ Sara DeHoff

On March 14, a group of Baha’is gathered at the Beaverton Baha’i Center, for a special community dinner to celebrate the fact that they were past the mid-point of the Baha’i 19-Day Fast. The Fast, which takes place from March 2 through March 20, consists of completely abstaining from food and drink (including water) from sunrise to sunset. The goal of the Fast is for participants to spiritually refresh and reinvigorate their spiritual lives. In doing so, they recommit themselves to doing their part to unite humanity and create a new world based on peace and justice, as was taught by Bahá’u'lláh, Founder of the Baha’i Faith.

During a delicious potluck dinner, we asked several of the guests, whose ages ranged from teens to fifties, to share with us how they were feeling about the Fast. According to Luz V., a former Catholic, “the Fast strengthens my soul.” She said that when she gets hungry and thirsty, she thinks of the homeless who experience hunger and the prophets who fasted for 40 days. What has really helped her is reading a lot of the Baha’i writings, which have strengthened her and enlightened her spiritually. Oscar E. agreed, saying that the fasting time allows him to “meditate more easily.”

Daniela A. enthusiastically described the Fast as the “season of detachment helping us to let go of the old year as we usher in Naw Ruz, the Baha’i New Year, that coincides with the coming of spring.” She explained that “this fasting season is a time of detachment from all yearnings of the material world as we also prepare for Ridván, the 12-day Festival in April commemorating the declaration of Baha’u’llah as the new Manifestation of God for this age. This discipline helps us to cleanse the body. Through prayer and meditation we learn to clear our minds, which in turn can bring about great healing as we strengthen ourselves both physically and spiritually.”

For Selena A., who is away at her first year of college, the Fast poses a lot of challenges, since there are fewer Baha’is around. “Observing the Fast,” she said, “is a sacrifice for what I believe in and brings me closer to other Baha’is.” She added, “The Fast makes you grateful and appreciate being able to have food available.”

Esme A., who is almost finished with high school, declared that the “Fast is a matter of mind over matter and no one can affect the outcome except oneself.” She keeps in mind that “other people do without enough food every single day.”

Shelly E. affirmed that she fasts out of a spirit of obedience to the bidding of Baha’u’llah, who initiated the Fast as part of establishing the Baha’i Faith. “The Fast advances my capacity for obedience.” She also stated, “Since Baha’is fast around the world, the Fast is a unifying force, a building block of the New World Order. For there will be no New World Order without obeying God’s Word.” And as a mother, Shelly wants to set a good example for her children, so that they will grow up really wanting to participate in the emerging Divine Institutions.

Listening to these dedicated Baha’is was heartening as they reflected a commitment infused with the spirit of those dedicated to the teachings of Baha’u’llah.

“O God! As I am fasting from the appetites of the body and not occupied with eating and drinking, even so purify and make holy my heart and my life from aught else save Thy Love, and protect and preserve my soul from self-passions… Thus may the spirit associate with the Fragrances of Holiness and fast from everything else save Thy mention.”
—Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 3, p. 305.

A few years back I met Vahid.  When I asked him where he came from, he shared, “My heritage goes back to the Sifter of Wheat – Ja’far.” I knew of Ja’far for I had read about this honored man in the Baha’i sacred books. Ja’far had a heart like Peter in the Bible. Peter—a simple fisherman—upon hearing the word of Christ, left his fishing and aided the Lord of his age. Centuries later, Ja’far, a humble wheat sifter, did the same.

Unlike his sifter forefather, Vahid is an educated professional, raised in America. He tells of his forefather with an air of reverence and humility:

More than a century ago the young sifter threw wheat into the air with his sieve. Catching the heavier wheat he watched the lighter chaff float away. Sifting wheat was a menial job and labor intensive. A more educated person might not have taken such work. Yet, for Ja’far, sifting the good from the bad was in his heart as well as his occupation. He watched the chaff fly as he skillfully caught the wheat in his sieve while simultaneously preparing to toss it again…separating the best from the least. In one of those tosses he heard someone say the name of a new Divine Teacher who brought the latest word from God. The name was “the Báb.” Immediately Ja’far left the wheat. He became the first follower of the Báb in Isfahan. He had sifted the greatest truth from the entire population of Isfahan with the sieve of his heart. And so Ja’far spent the short remainder of his life serving his lord the Bab. Ja’far’s life ended as he protected his people and his faith in a defensive battle at the Fort of Shayk Tabarsi.

Vahid stressed that it was important to learn two things from this story. First a soul without any formal education can recognize the Lord of the Age. And second as we embrace God’s Perfect Reflection on earth, we become descendents of such pure souls as Ja’far.

To Baha’is, the Báb is the first of the twin Perfect Reflections of God promised in all the sacred books. He was the Forerunner of Bahá’u'lláh, the Messenger of God for this age.  Both have been prophesized in all religions. “Baha’i”  means follower of Baha’u’llah.