8 May 1979: To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States

IN THE WAKE OF JOYOUS WORLD-WIDE CELEBRATIONS VICTORIES FIVE YEAR PLAN OUR HEARTS TURN TO OUR BELEAGUERED BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, TO DEEPENING CRISIS INTERNATIONAL FUND AND ITS SPECIAL IMPACT ON CHALLENGES FACING BAHA'I WORLD IN OPENING TWO-YEAR PHASE SEVEN YEAR PLAN.  OUR PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION MEASURES DESIGNED MITIGATE GRAVE PROBLEM RESULTED IN DECISION ARRANGE A SERIES OF SIGNIFICANT WELL ATTENDED MEETINGS WITH FRIENDS IN SEVERAL KEY CITIES NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE TO BE PLANNED BY RESPECTIVE NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES AND ADDRESSED BY MEMBER UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE. THIS MISSION ASSIGNED TO MR BORRAH KAVELIN. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND WE DEEM MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST MOST AUSPICIOUS CARRY OUT PROGRAMME, PREFERABLY COVERING UNITED STATES AND CANADA IN JULY AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN AUGUST. AMONG CITIES IN UNITED STATES, WE SUGGEST NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA, HOUSTON, WILMETTE, SAN DIEGO, LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO. WE WOULD LEAVE TO YOUR CONVENIENCE THE TIME AND LOCATION OF MEETINGS. YOU MAY ALSO CONSIDER HAVING OUR REPRESENTATIVE JOIN YOUR JUNE MEETING FOR CONSULTATION AND PROCEED FROM THERE TO INITIATE PROGRAMME IN STAGES, THENCE TO CANADA. THERE IS FLEXIBILITY IN ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET CONDITIONS IN BOTH COUNTRIES. WE DEEM IT HIGHLY FITTING AND WORTHY THAT THIS PROGRAMME BE LAUNCHED IN THE MUCH-LOVED COMMUNITY CALLED BY THE BELOVED MASTER APOSTLES OF BAHA'U'LLAH AND NAMED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI PRINCIPAL BUILDERS AND DEFENDERS OF A MIGHTY ORDER. IN VIEW OF THE URGENCY IN MAKING APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS ON BOTH CONTINENTS, WE WOULD APPRECIATE AN EARLY RESPONSE FROM YOU.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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

Naw-Ruz 1979: To National Spiritual Assemblies

Beloved friends,

In the message of the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the world and in its letters to individual communities setting the goals of the first phase of the Seven Year Plan are a number of references which it wishes to amplify for your guidance.  Not all will apply to every national Baha'i community, but you will all undoubtedly find interest in reading even those which do not immediately apply to your specific situation. The points we have been asked to set forth are as follows.

Local Spiritual Assemblies

In August 1970 the House of Justice sent to all National Spiritual Assemblies a compilation of the words of Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi on the Local Spiritual Assembly. To supplement this fundamental and most important guidance we now enclose a compilation of extracts from the letters of the Universal House of Justice written between 1966 and 1975, covering the importance of Local Spiritual Assemblies, their development, the supporting role of the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, and suggested goals for Local Assemblies.

In selecting goal towns for the formation of Local Spiritual Assemblies a National Assembly should ensure that there will be a wide distribution of Local Assemblies throughout the country.

National Assemblies should consider calling upon every Local Assembly to meet at least once every Baha'i month, and to appoint a local teaching committee wherever it is desirable to do so and has not already been done.

Pioneers and Travelling Teachers

The need for the services of pioneers and travelling teachers remains very great. In the goals for the initial two-year phase of the Plan few specific assignments for the sending of pioneers and travelling teachers have been made. In recent years a steady stream has begun to flow, and the Universal House of Justice calls upon the followers of Baha'u'llah in the stronger national communities to arise to join this stream. Enclosed are two lists showing those countries which are particularly in need of pioneers and travelling teachers at the present time. You should publish these as soon as possible. They are also being supplied to the Continental Pioneer Committees, and those friends who arise will be able to decide upon their area of service in consultation with their National Assembly and the appropriate committees. The international funds of the Faith are now very limited, and this adds to the need for pioneers and travelling teachers to be self-supporting.

26 February 1979: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

Recent events in Iran have focused the attention of the world's news media on that country, and the Baha'is and the Baha'i Faith have been mentioned frequently. Our enemies have spread many misleading statements and calumnies through the media.

Already in the United States the prompt reaction of Local Spiritual Assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly to an attack on the Faith made during a national television programme has resulted in the greatest publicity for the Cause for many years.

The friends are urged through their National and Local Assemblies, and individually, and without in any way criticizing or confronting editors and programme directors, to offer articles, letters to editors, statements to radio and television producers and to take occasional advertisements. All these should be linked to any mention of the Faith, particularly though not necessarily a misleading one, and should be solely concerned with repudiating falsehoods and giving the truth about the Faith, not indulging in argument or complaint.

The Universal House of Justice is aware of a pattern in the false statements being circulated about the Faith and sends the following information to enable the friends everywhere to take action whenever the opportunity arises.

The allegations against us are mainly that in Iran the Baha'is have been political supporters of the previous regime, that one of the Prime Ministers and some Ministers have been Baha'is, and that even the head of SAVAK (the Iranian Secret Police) and other of its high-ranking officers have been members of the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'is are also accused of being against Islam and of supporting causes which are hostile to Muslim nations.

It is obvious that these allegations are entirely unfounded. The established non- political nature of the Faith, as well as the principle that whoever among the friends participates in partisan politics or becomes a member of a political party is expelled from the Baha'i community, support this. These false accusations by the enemies of the Cause are being deliberately spread for two main reasons: one, to discredit their political opponents who have been or are in power by associating them with the Faith; and two, to incite further hatred of the fanatical sections of the population against the Baha'is.