13 September 1983: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

SORELY TRIED COMMUNITY GREATEST NAME IRAN HAS IN RECENT DAYS SUSTAINED YET ANOTHER CRUEL BLOW OPENING NEW CHAPTER ITS TURBULENT HISTORY. ON 29 AUGUST IN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT THROUGH STATEMENT ISSUED ATTORNEY-GENERAL ANNOUNCED BAN BAHA'I ADMINISTRATION, RECITING USUAL FALSE ACCUSATIONS STATING EXISTENCE ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALLY CONSIDERED TO BE AGAINST LAWS CONSTITUTION COUNTRY. HOWEVER STATEMENT SAID BAHA'IS MAY PRACTICE BELIEFS AS PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS PROVIDED THEY DO NOT TEACH OR INVITE OTHERS TO JOIN FAITH, THEY DO NOT FORM ASSEMBLIES OR HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ADMINISTRATION. SERVING IN BAHA'I ADMINISTRATION NOW SPECIFIED AS CRIMINAL ACT. THIS LATEST ONSLAUGHT DEFENCELESS COMMUNITY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES IMPLACABILITY FANATICAL ELEMENTS IN THEIR DRIVE SUPPRESS LIGHT GOD'S INFANT FAITH IN LAND ITS FIRST GLEAMING.

CONFORMITY PRINCIPLE LOYALTY OBEDIENCE GOVERNMENT NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY IRAN IMMEDIATELY TOOK ACTION DISSOLVE BAHA'I ADMINISTRATION THROUGHOUT COUNTRY THUS UPHOLDING INTEGRITY COMMUNITY DESPITE HEAVY YOKE CRUELTIES BORNE BY ITS MEMBERS FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS.  CONFIDENT THAT STEADFAST TRIED AND DEVOTED FRIENDS THAT LONG-AGITATED LAND WILL FACE NEW SITUATION WITH RADIANT FORTITUDE.  AT SAME TIME BAHA'IS ELSEWHERE ENJOYING FREEDOM PRACTICE FAITH ACUTELY CHALLENGED TO VINDICATE BY THEIR RECONSECRATION TO IMMEDIATE SACRED TASKS UNABATED SUFFERING THEIR GRIEVOUSLY WRONGED IRANIAN BRETHREN. INDEED ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES URGED TAKE STEPS STRENGTHEN FOUNDATION BAHA'I INSTITUTIONS THEIR COUNTRIES AS TRIBUTE SACRIFICES COURAGEOUSLY ACCEPTED MEMBERS COMMUNITY BAHA'U'LLAH'S NATIVE LAND.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

7 September 1983: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

As you are probably aware, 1985 has been designated by the United Nations as International Youth Year, and the Baha'i International Community is taking preliminary steps to set up a programme for the involvement of the world-wide Baha'i community in this event, in close co-operation with the United Nations and its agencies, such as UNICEF. The purpose of this letter is to request your National Assembly to determine how the Baha'i youth in your country can, to the extent practicable, participate in general youth activities which are being proposed by the United Nations for International Youth Year, as well as in specific Baha'i projects of service to the local community or to the country as a whole.

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, established by the United Nations' General Assembly in 1946 to provide relief for children in devastated areas.  It also seeks to feed destitute children and to prevent childhood diseases.  In 1953 it was made a permanent UN organization. The Baha'i International Community has consultative status with UNICEF.

Your National Spiritual Assembly should be alert as to whether your government is making any plans to observe International Youth Year, and if so, you should consider the steps you could take in setting up or participating in projects associated with this event. Such activities should be planned, of course, in consultation with the Baha'i International Community, which is coordinating and monitoring such efforts. Participation of this kind by the Baha'i youth would not only add to the prestige of the Faith and demonstrate its humanitarian character, but would also act as a rallying point for the youth, strengthening them in their role in the Faith and training them to organize themselves for future services to this blessed Cause.

The Universal House of Justice will be anxious to learn of your plans to participate in this important event.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

1 September 1983: The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Norway

Dear Baha'i friends,

On several occasions there has been correspondence between your Assembly and the Universal House of Justice on meditation and kindred subjects.  The House of Justice is aware that such matters have been a cause of differences of opinion among the Norwegian Baha'is. It has now come to the attention of the House of Justice that there was a session of group meditation of a particular kind at your summer school under the aegis of the National Teaching Committee. We have, therefore, been instructed to send you the following comments which, it is hoped, will help to resolve this long-standing problem.

In its message to the Dublin Conference the Universal House of Justice called upon the Continental Board of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies of Europe to launch together "such a campaign of spiritualization of the Baha'i community, allied with intensified personal teaching, as has never been witnessed in your continent." It realizes that the session at your Summer School referred to above may well have been intended as an aspect of this campaign, and it feels that it would be helpful to explain more fully what it intended by 'spiritualization of the Baha'i community."

Europe has suffered so appallingly in past centuries from persecutions and conflicts inspired by religious differences and fanaticism that there has been a revulsion against religion. Many Europeans have become skeptical, scornful of religious practices, and reluctant either to discuss religious subjects or to give credence to the power of faith. This turning away from religion has been powerfully reinforced by the growth of materialism, and has produced a combination of physical well-being and spiritual aridity that is having catastrophic results, socially and psychologically, on the population.

25 August 1983: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

SADDENED PASSING DEVOTED MAIDSERVANT BAHA'U'LLAH SYLVIA IOAS. HER LONG YEARS SERVICE DIVINE THRESHOLD CONSTANT SUPPORT CLOSE COLLABORATION HER DISTINGUISHED HUSBAND CROWNED BY HER APPOINTMENT BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AS MEMBER INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I COUNCIL AND HER SUBSEQUENT ELECTION SAME HISTORIC INSTITUTION AND AS ITS VICE-PRESIDENT. HER GRACIOUS MANNER, CHEERFUL DISPOSITION, HOSPITABLE SPIRIT REMAIN AS INDELIBLE IMPRESSIONS HER FRUITFUL LIFE. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES HER RADIANT SOUL MAY BE RICHLY REWARDED ABHA KINGDOM. URGE NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL SERVICES.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

16 August 1983: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

ARRESTS IRANIAN BRETHREN CONTINUING. ...  24 INCLUDING 10 WOMEN IMPRISONED BETWEEN 3 AND 5 AUGUST.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)

2 August 1983: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

PERSECUTIONS IRANIAN FRIENDS REMAIN UNABATED. WAVES ARRESTS PROMINENT BAHA'IS RECENTLY INTENSIFIED. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)