On anniversary of arrests, Canadian MPs highlight Iran’s human rights violations

http://news.bahai.org/story/911

OTTAWA, Canada, 16 May 2012, (BWNS) – In a wide-ranging debate that took place on the fourth anniversary of the arrest of imprisoned Iranian Baha’i leaders, members of the Canadian Parliament voiced their grave concern about worsening violations of human rights in Iran.

Earlier on Monday 14 May, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs – John Baird – marked the anniversary by issuing a statement which said, “Iranian authorities continually undermine the right to freedom of religion by tolerating and even encouraging persecution of Baha’is, Christians and members of other minority religious communities. Freedom of religion is a universal human right.”

“We urge Iran to uphold its international obligations and allow for freedom of religion, and to respect the fundamental rights of its people,” said Minister Baird.

Read Minister Baird’s statement here: <http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/05/14a.aspx?view=d>

Opening the debate in the House of Commons, Deepak Obhrai – Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs – said that Iran’s refusal to respect human rights obligations is a “violation not just of universally recognized norms and standards but of those enshrined within its own constitution.”

Mr. Obhrai and other speakers highlighted, among other things, the Iranian authorities’ suppression of women’s rights, attacks on journalists, artists, independent trade unionists, and civil society, and the persecution of minorities.

“With respect to religious minorities, Iran remains a dangerous place for members of numerous communities, including the Baha’i,” said Mr. Obhrai, a Conservative MP from Alberta.

“For years, this peaceful community has been targeted by the Iranian authorities and subjected to discrimination and detention. Baha’i leaders have been arrested and imprisoned for practicing their faith.

“Iranian officials have also made statements to try to link the Baha’i to the political unrest in that country. These are trumped-up accusations and a cause of concern for the safety and well-being of those unjustly detained in Iran.”

Irwin Cotler, a Liberal MP from Montreal, told the debate that the plight of Iran’s Baha’is offers a looking glass into the situation of human rights in Iran in general, and the “criminalization of innocence.”

“Simply put, the persecution and prosecution of these Baha’i is a case study of the systematic if not systemic character of Iranian injustice as a whole,” said Mr. Cotler, “including arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention, false and trumped-up charges.”

Scott Reid, a Conservative from Ontario, added “Baha’is face what really amounts to a systematic effort to exterminate the religion,” calling Iran’s persecution of Baha’is “one of the great tragedies of modern times.”

Welcoming the debate, Susanne Tamas – director of government relations for the Canadian Baha’i community – said it was significant that representatives from all of Canada’s major parties spoke and were unanimous in expressing their concerns.

“The debate was very heartfelt and very much appreciated,” said Ms. Tamas.

Read a full transcript of the debate here: <http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=1&DocId=5583473#SOB-7581615>

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Persecution intensifies as former Baha’i leaders mark anniversary behind bars

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GENEVA, 14 May 2012, (BWNS) – Iran’s former Baha’i leaders begin their fifth year in prison today amid an intensification of the persecution of their co-religionists.

The seven prisoners each face the bleak prospect of 16 more years in jail for crimes they did not commit. Next week also marks the first anniversary of raids on homes of Baha’is associated with an informal initiative offering higher education to community members barred from university. Nine educators later received harsh prison sentences.

The detention and conviction of these and other Baha’is is a reflection of the oppression facing all Iranians who desire freedom and the progress of their country, said the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated 11 May 2012 sent to the Baha’is of Iran.

In its message, the Universal House of Justice noted how the intensifying cruelty towards the Iranian Baha’i community is now also engulfing children. Among recent attacks, the letter highlighted the confinement in prison for a few days of a two-year old boy with his mother, the beating and burning of the hand of a school pupil by her teacher after the girl did not take part in congregational prayers, and the violent abduction by officials of a mother before the eyes of her two young children.

“From schoolchildren to the elderly, from the seven former leaders to ordinary villagers, no Baha’i in Iran is spared the cruel and calculated persecution which the Iranian government and its agents are constantly devising,” said Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

The seven former leaders have been given the longest sentences – 20 years each – of any of the prisoners of conscience currently held in Iranian jails, Ms. Ala’i added. “Conditions are harsh with poor food and bad sanitation and most of them have experienced significant health problems. Yet during these four years, not one of them has been granted any type of furlough – something to which a prisoner is entitled under Iranian law.”

Global support

The Universal House of Justice observed in its letter that, over the past year, governments and organizations have continued to defend the rights of Baha’is and other oppressed Iranians. Among such supporters, statesmen and officials – including some Muslim politicians in both the East and the West – civil agencies, universities and prominent personalities have declared the persecution of Baha’is to be unjust and have called for it to cease.

Recent action has included the unanimous passing of a resolution in the United States Senate – on 29 March – calling for the release of the seven former leaders. Three days later, the plight of the prisoners captured the public’s attention in 12 of the world’s major cities, when widespread publicity marked the combined total of 10,000 days that the seven had spent behind bars.

Fair-minded Iranians, including artists, are also defending the rights of their oppressed Baha’i compatriots and demanding their freedom, noted the Universal House of Justice.

“Blind prejudice and superstition pervades Iran today and irreparable damage has been done to the name and reputation of Islam,” said Diane Ala’i. “We welcome and join with every effort made by people of good will – both in Iran and around the world – to condemn the extent and violence of the oppressions faced by the people of Iran.”

To read the article online, view photographs, and access links and further information:

http://news.bahai.org/story/910

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Fifty years on, European Baha’i communities recall landmark elections

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OSLO, Norway, 7 May 2012, (BWNS) – Tributes have been paid to the Baha’i Faith on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Norwegian National Spiritual Assembly.

In Oslo, some 100 special guests participated in a celebratory gathering. Among them, Shazia Mushtaq – a representative of Norway’s Islamic Council – praised the “many beautiful elements” in the commemorative event, which included spoken tributes and musical performances.

Ivar Flaten, a Church of Norway priest, remarked that he found in the Baha’i teachings, “a special emphasis, not only on tolerance but also on acknowledging each other.” His comments were echoed by Lise Tørnby, Chief Executive of Norway’s Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities, who said that one thing that characterizes Baha’is is their “willingness for dialog.”

In his keynote address, Thor Henning Lerstad – a journalist and Baha’i – described the call to all human beings to acknowledge the unity of religion as “perhaps the most notable challenge the Baha’i Faith poses, from a Nordic perspective…”

“Tolerance is not enough; it is also necessary to recognize other peoples’ beliefs,” he said.

Today Baha’i activities in Norway include the hosting of gatherings that strengthen the devotional character of the community; classes for children; groups that channel the energies of young people; and study circles where participants explore the application of spiritual teachings to their lives and develop skills to serve the community.

“We live in a time where less attention is given to the nurturing of human beings’ spiritual nature,” noted Shahla Bahrami, another Norwegian Baha’i. The activities offered by the Baha’i community help to refine this nature, she told the gathering held on Friday 27 April.

This year also marks the 50th anniversaries of the formation of National Spiritual Assemblies in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. In a number of them, a period of commemoration was allocated at the national Baha’i conventions which happen each year during the period of the Ridvan festival, 21 April to 2 May.

To the Baha’is of Switzerland, the Regent for Liechtenstein – His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois – wrote, “Upon learning that the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, which is currently responsible for the Baha’i community of Liechtenstein, will celebrate its 50 years in existence, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the community on this anniversary and express my best wishes and God’s blessings for the future.”

The Swiss National Assembly in turn sent anniversary greetings to the neighboring Baha’i community of Italy. The Italian national convention heard Mario Piarulli, a surviving member of its first National Spiritual Assembly, recounting his memories of the community’s early history.

Mr. Piarulli’s expressed his sincere wish that “the young people present today may – in 50 years, on the occasion of the centenary commemoration – look at these, our years, as crucial in accelerating the maturation of a world spiritual civilization…”

In the Netherlands, former and current National Spiritual Assembly members marked their 50th anniversary with the reading of the names of each of the 51 Baha’is who have served on the institution during those years.

The anniversary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Portugal was celebrated at the national convention, held for the first time in a new national Baha’i center. “The physical space that hosted the Convention was thus a material symbol of the growth and progress of the Faith over the previous half century,” reported Portugal’s National Spiritual Assembly.

Baha’is in Luxembourg observed the golden jubilee of their National Spiritual Assembly with a tribute to the first Baha’i to settle in the country, British-born Honor Kempton. “The convention was invigorated by the sacrifices made by the Baha’is of previous decades,” said Assembly member Amir Saberin, “and focused on how the foundation built in the last half-century may become the platform for even greater accomplishments in the next.”

To read the article online and view photographs:

http://news.bahai.org/story/909

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

http://news.bahai.org/

Panel examines the role of young people in social change

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NEW YORK, 30 April 2012, (BWNS) – Preparing the world’s young people for the future will require new directions in education that emphasize their role as global citizens.

That was among the ideas presented here at a panel discussion, sponsored by the Baha’i International Community, as a side event to the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, 23-27 April.

Titled “Youth and Adolescents: Educating the Protagonists of Social Change,” the panel sought to address the main theme of this year’s Commission.

Young people should be taught “the concept of fundamental human rights, and the concepts of tolerance, peace and diversity,” said Ambassador William A. Awinador-Kanyirige, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the UN.

“If we don’t do this, along with the basic sciences and communication skills, then we are not helping the youth to realize themselves fully,” he said.

Opening the discussion, Bani Dugal – the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the UN – said, “We want to explore educational processes that help young people to recognize and develop their potentials…and to see themselves as protagonists of change in their own lives, in the life of their communities, and in the world.”

“Many of the approaches to education today treat students in a very passive way, as receptacles of information rather than active members of their community,” said Ms. Dugal.

Panelist Alicia Cundall, a student at the University of Toronto, said young people are anxious to become strategic partners in helping to plan the world they will inherit.

“I have learned that adolescents and youth are idealistic in the best way,” said Ms. Cundall. “We won’t take no for an answer, we stand up for what we believe, we challenge the status quo, our mindsets and attitudes are flexible and malleable and we are able to change our ways to adapt to changing times more easily than adults. We have a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm.”

Programs for young people, she said, should stress the importance of service to the community and experiential learning.

As part of its contribution to this year’s Commission, the Baha’i International Community issued a statement addressing the theme. The document noted that there are no fewer than one billion people worldwide between the ages of 10 and 19 – and yet half live in poverty and some 25 percent survive on less than a dollar a day.

“The future of today’s society will depend to a great extent on the manner in which educational programs and methods are designed to release the latent potential of youth and prepare them for the world they will inherit,” said the statement.

The full statement can be read here: http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/statements/youth-and-adolescents-education-in-service-of-community

To read the article online and view photographs:

http://news.bahai.org/story/908

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

http://news.bahai.org/

Guam joins global condemnation of Iran’s human rights abuses

http://news.bahai.org/story/907

HAGǺTÑA, Guam, 27 April 2012, (BWNS) – The Senate of the western Pacific island territory of Guam has called upon the United States of America to keep up its pressure on Iran over human rights abuses.

A resolution was unanimously passed this morning by the island’s 15-member legislature. Fourteen senators voted in favor of the resolution, with none against. One senator was absent and did not vote.

Guam – the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands – is a U.S. territory with its own elected governor and legislature. The resolution, which was co-sponsored by the Senate’s speaker Judith Won Pat and two other senators, urges the U.S. Congress and President – on behalf of the people of Guam – to “continue their efforts in calling upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that the nation’s youth will not be denied access to higher education because of their faith.”

The resolution specifically cites Iran’s official government policy to “ensure that ‘progress and development’ of the Baha’is ‘are blocked’ with explicit directives that Baha’is ‘must be expelled from universities…’”

“Although we are small on Guam and far away and removed from the situation in Iran, we want to show the world that we have compassion for the Baha’is’ suffering and persecution,” said Benjamin J.F. Cruz, vice-speaker of the Senate and a co-sponsor of the resolution.

Legislative Secretary Tina Rose Muña Barnes added, “When I put my name on the resolution to co-sponsor it, I did so with conviction because I believe that education and knowledge is a key to success. And knowing youth are being denied that opportunity I asked myself, how can I not stand up and add my voice? We should not be afraid to stand up and say, ‘I want to help.’”

The Senators’ made their remarks at a public hearing on 16 April, ahead of today’s vote.

The first recorded mention of the Baha’i Faith in Guam was 1936. Today there are some 200 Baha’is on the island. “It is our hope that this resolution will hasten the end of denial of education to the Baha’i youth of Iran and will allow them to be free to serve their country and the world,” said a spokesperson for the Guamanian Baha’i community.

To read the article online and view photographs:

http://news.bahai.org/story/907

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

http://news.bahai.org/

Plans to build new Houses of Worship announced

http://news.bahai.org/story/906

HAIFA, Israel, 22 April 2012, (BWNS) – With the construction under way in Chile of the last of the continental Baha’i Houses of Worship, plans have been announced for the building of the first two national Baha’i Temples – in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea.

The historic announcement was made yesterday by the Universal House of Justice in its annual message to mark the first day of Ridvan, the holiest festival in the Baha’i year.

Baha’i Houses of Worship are distinctive buildings, open to all, where visitors can simply pray and meditate in a serene atmosphere, or listen to the holy scriptures of the world’s religions being recited and sung. Each House of Worship provides a spiritual center around which agencies of social, humanitarian, and educational service are established for the surrounding population.

This institution weds “two essential, inseparable aspects of Baha’i life: worship and service,” wrote the Universal House of Justice.

In addition to the two new national Temples, consultations are to commence in five regions of the world on the creation of local Houses of Worship. The locations are: Battambang, Cambodia; Bihar Sharif, India; Matunda Soy, Kenya; Norte del Cauca, Colombia; and Tanna, Vanuatu.

These are among the places where Baha’i communities are cultivating a “devotional spirit that finds expression in gatherings for prayer and an educational process that builds capacity for service to humanity,” wrote the Universal House of Justice.

Referring to the Houses of Worship, the letter concluded: “From these Dawning-Points of the Remembrance of God will shine the rays of His light and peal out the anthems of His praise.”

To read the article online and view photographs go to:

http://news.bahai.org/story/906

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

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________________________________________________

Copyright 2012 by the Baha’i World News Service. Stories and photographs produced by the Baha’i World News Service may be freely reprinted, re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha’i World News Service. For more information

UN Human Rights Council extends mandate of Iran monitor

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GENEVA, 23 March 2012, (BWNS) – The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted by an overwhelming margin for a continuing investigation into human rights violations in Iran.

Yesterday’s vote of 22 to 5 with 20 abstentions came after two major UN reports sharply criticized Iranian authorities.

“This result is a clear indication of the Council’s concern over Iran’s abysmal record on human rights,” said Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

The vote extended for a year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed. Last week, Dr. Shaheed delivered his first report to the Council, condemning the failure of Iran’s justice system to protect the rights of citizens. He also expressed concern over a rise in executions, the increased detention of journalists and lawyers, and continuing persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, including Baha’is.

In another report released yesterday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon documented a long list of new or recent violations, including allegations of the use of torture, summary executions, and the persecution of religious minorities.

“The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by reports of increased numbers of executions including in public, executions of juvenile offenders, amputations, flogging, arbitrary arrest and detention, unfair trials, torture and ill-treatment, and the crackdown on media professionals, film makers, human rights defenders, lawyers and opposition activists,” the report said.

Mr. Ban also expressed concern over Iran’s failure to cooperate with UN investigators. He reported that Iran had last year responded only once to 17 communications sent by Special Procedures mandate holders such as Dr. Shaheed.

Diane Ala’i noted how Iran’s ambassador had told the Council that his country has been wrongly accused of human rights violations, and that it only seeks to cooperate with the international community.

“This vote and these reports should be a wake-up call for Iran,” she said. “Very few countries would now dare to say there are not serious violations of human rights in Iran. What the world wants is real answers from the Iranian authorities – not lip service about cooperation or baseless attacks against the Special Rapporteur.”

To read the article online, view photographs, and access links go to:

http://news.bahai.org/story/901

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

http://news.bahai.org/

________________________________________________

Copyright 2012 by the Baha’i World News Service. Stories and photographs produced by the Baha’i World News Service may be freely reprinted, re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha’i World News Service. For more information, go to http://news.bahai.org/terms-of-use/

Iran’s abuses of religious freedom condemned

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WASHINGTON D.C., U.S.A., 22 March 2012, (BWNS) – Iran remains one of the worst abusers of the right to religious freedom in the world, according to a new report.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has described how the “government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused.”

Conditions continued to deteriorate during the past year especially for Baha’is, as well as Christians and Sufi Muslims, the USCIRF wrote in its annual report published on 20 March. Read report here: http://www.uscirf.gov/images/Annual%20Report%20of%20USCIRF%202012(2).pdf

“Even the recognized non-Muslim religious minorities protected under Iran’s constitution – Jews, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, and Zoroastrians – faced increasing discrimination, arrests, and imprisonment,” the report said.

A two-page section devoted to the situation of Iran’s Baha’is highlighted “increasingly harsh treatment, including increasing numbers of arrests and detentions and violent attacks on private homes and personal property.” The report also described attacks on Baha’i-owned businesses, the denial of the right to higher education, vandalism of Baha’i cemeteries, the vilification of Baha’is in state-controlled media, and efforts to collect information on members of the Baha’i community and monitor their activities.

The report recommended that the United States continues “to speak out publicly and frequently at the highest levels about the severe religious freedom abuses in Iran, and draw attention to the need for the international community to hold Iranian authorities accountable in specific cases.” In particular, it asked US officials to call for the release of jailed Baha’i leaders and educators, as well as other Baha’is in prison on account of their religion, and for all charges to be dropped against those Baha’is who have cases pending against them.

Officials are also urged to ask Iran to “rescind immediately laws that permit members of the Baha’i faith to be killed with impunity, permit the Baha’i community to practice their faith in Iran, and allow full access for Baha’is to study in public universities without discrimination.” The report also called for the release of all Christians in prison on account of their religion or belief, and for all pending charges against Christian converts to be dropped.

To read the article online and access links go to:

http://news.bahai.org/story/900

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

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Copyright 2012 by the Baha’i World News Service. Stories and photographs produced by the Baha’i World News Service may be freely reprinted, re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha’i World News Service. For more information, go to http://news.bahai.org/terms-of-use/

Scientists call for release of Baha’i educators

http://news.bahai.org/story/899

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 21 March 2012, (BWNS) – An international body that monitors the human rights of scientists around the world, and assists those in need, is urging the Iranian authorities to free imprisoned Baha’i educators.

In a letter addressed to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists of the American Physical Society is appealing to the Iranian government to “immediately and unconditionally release” all imprisoned individuals affiliated with the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) and to “allow the Baha’i Institute to freely operate, and to ensure that all Iranian students have access to higher education.”

“Those arrested are not political or religious leaders. They were lecturers in subjects ranging from accounting to dentistry…” the letter states. “The Committee believes it is a human right for educators to educate a younger generation…”

“We urge the Iranian government to reconsider its policy and realize that barring a group of Iranians from education and economic advancement will ultimately be to the detriment of Iran’s economy and progress for all its citizens.”

The condemnation of the imprisonment of Baha’i educators has spanned the world. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has led the criticism of their sentences, along with such prominent figures as Nobel Peace Prize laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Jose Ramos-Horta.

Set up as an informal community initiative, BIHE offered education to young Baha’is barred from university because of their religion. “This policy of excluding the largest religious minority in Iran, places the Baha’is on the margins of society…” the Committee wrote on 29 February.

Some 39 homes of Baha’is associated with BIHE were raided in a coordinated attack in May 2011. Lecturer Kamran Mortezaie is now serving a five-year jail term. Mahmoud Badavam, Noushin Khadem, Farhad Sedghi, Riaz Sobhani and Ramin Zibaie are each serving four year prison sentences. The judgments against them cast their activities in support of BIHE as crimes and as “evidence” of their purported aim to subvert the State. Two psychology teachers – Faran Hesami and her husband Kamran Rahimian – have also been sentenced to four years in prison.

To read the article online, go to:

http://news.bahai.org/story/899

For the Baha’i World News Service home page, go to:

http://news.bahai.org/

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Copyright 2012 by the Baha’i World News Service. Stories and photographs produced by the Baha’i World News Service may be freely reprinted, re-emailed, re-posted to the World Wide Web and otherwise reproduced by any individual or organization as long as they are attributed to the Baha’i World News Service. For more information, go to http://news.bahai.org/terms-of-use/

Book and website launched to accompany building of House of Worship

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SANTIAGO, Chile, 18 March 2012, (BWNS) – As construction of the innovative Baha’i House of Worship gets under way here, a new book and website have been launched to meet growing interest in the Temple and what it represents.

The publication, “Donde Brilla La Luz” (“Where the Light Shines”), aims to respond to questions about the Baha’i Faith and includes reflections on the impact that the House of Worship is intended to make on the society around it.

It has been written by Daniel Duhart from Chile, Helen Mirkovitch-Kohm of Costa Rica and Jairo Roldan from Colombia.

“It is a very exciting time to launch this book, parallel to the advances in the construction of the Temple,” said Mr. Duhart.

“All three of us have a common love for Latin America and its destiny. In comparison with other introductory books about the Baha’i Faith, this one particularly reflects on the needs of the continent and how the Baha’i teachings can contribute to finding a constructive way to approach those needs.”

For example, said Mr. Duhart, the themes of unity and justice are very important for Latin Americans as they “represent an unfinished desire in our history.”

“What we have learned in the Baha’i community about how these two principles can be applied at both the individual and societal levels could be a very important contribution towards endeavors in Latin America to build a just and unified society,” he said.

It is anticipated that “Donde Brilla La Luz” will soon be widely distributed through bookshops and promoted in the media.

Online information

Also providing specific information about the House of Worship is a new website in Spanish, Portuguese and English at http://templo.bahai.cl.

The site provides facts about the building’s design and construction, offers a contact page and a section about the Baha’i Faith and its teachings, and answers frequently asked questions about the Temple and the concepts that inspire it.

It is hoped that the site will also communicate the positive contribution that the Temple can make over time to Chilean society. The concept of the Baha’i House of Worship, as envisaged by Baha’u'llah, not only incorporates the central meeting place for prayer and meditation but, in time, a range of facilities and activities that serve the social and educational needs of the surrounding population.

“There is a growing realization that the construction of this Temple represents more than just an extraordinary building,” said Daniel Duhart. “Parallel to this, there is another construction process going on – of community building, in which increasing numbers of all ages are advancing together on a path of service to humanity.”

“As this consciousness grows, the impact of this whole process on our society will acquire new dimensions,” he said.