Messages posted in chronological order…

1/30/23

10 May 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

AFTER BRIEF LULL AND RELEASE FEW BAHA'I PRISONERS, FRESH OUTBURST PERSECUTIONS AGAINST MEMBERS DEFENCELESS COMMUNITY IN CRADLE FAITH CLEARLY EVIDENT.

HEARTS GRIEVED ANNOUNCE THAT SINCE EARLY APRIL SIX STAUNCH BELIEVERS HAVE OFFERED THEIR LIVES ALTAR SACRIFICE.  ALL MERCILESSLY EXECUTED SOLELY DUE THEIR ADHERENCE BELOVED FAITH, BUT OUTWARDLY ON BASIS TRUMPED-UP ACCUSATIONS.

THEIR NAMES ARE:

 1. MR 'ASKAR MUHAMMADI OF RAHIMKHAN VILLAGE IN BUKAN, KURDISTAN, WHO WAS ASSASSINATED AT HIS HOME IN EARLY APRIL BY REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS AFTER INTRODUCING HIMSELF AS BAHA'I WHILE THEY WERE SEARCHING HOUSES THAT AREA FOR WEAPONS.

2. MR IHSANU'LLAH KHAYYAMI OF URUMIYYIH, WHO WAS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD ON 12 APRIL AFTER INTENSE BUT UNSUCCESSFUL PRESSURE TO RECANT HIS FAITH.

 3. MR 'AZIZU'LLAH GULSHANI OF MASHHAD, KHURASAN, WHO WAS HANGED ON 29 APRIL. COURT VERDICT CLEARLY BASED HIS AFFILIATION FAITH AND BAHA'I ACTIVITIES. NEWSPAPER KAYHAN REPORTS VERDICT COURT REFERS TO HIM AS A HERETIC, WHICH IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH. THIS IMPORTANT DOCUMENT PROVES BAHA'IS ARE BEING KILLED BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIGION.

4. MR BADI'U'LLAH HAQQ-PAYKAR OF KARAJ NEAR TIHRAN, AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY, WHO WAS EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD ON 8 MAY.

5. AND 6. MR MAHMUD FARUHAR AND HIS WIFE ISHRAQIYYIH, HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EDUCATED ACTIVE BELIEVERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY, WHO WERE ALSO EXECUTED IN KARAJ ON 8 MAY.

FURTHER, MANY PROMINENT BAHA'IS, INCLUDING 23 MEMBERS LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES IN VARIOUS PARTS COUNTRY ARRESTED IN RECENT WEEKS. ...

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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

1/28/23

3 May 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

We have been instructed by the Universal House of Justice to announce the sorrowful news that since our last report of 11 March 1982, two more steadfast and devoted supporters of the Greatest Name in Iran, Mr Ihsanu'llah Khayyami of Urumiyyih and Mr 'Azizu'llah Gulshani of Mashhad, have joined the ranks of the martyrs of His Cause. After a few months of imprisonment and intense but unsuccessful pressure to recant his Faith, Mr Khayyami, a staunch believer of humble means, was executed on 12 April 1982. Mr Gulshani, a prominent Baha'i of Khurasan province who was imprisoned for many months, was executed on 29 April. The following developments are also shared with you.

The friends in the village of Saysan, in one of the outlying districts of Tabriz, are under extreme pressure by a mulla of the neighbouring town of Bustanabad, and have been given a month to decide whether they will convert to Islam or face grave consequences. The members of the Baha'i community in this village, which consists of several generations of Baha'is, have remained steadfast and approached the religious authorities in Qum who have recommended to the Imam-Jum'ih of Tabriz that he intervene and try to relieve the Baha'is from such harassment.

All the Baha'is of Hisar in Khurasan have been forced to leave their homes and had to flee to Mashhad.

Although a few believers have been released from prison during the recent period of amnesty, many have been arrested and imprisoned, including nine active Baha'is in Qazvin and its surrounding areas, seven in Shiraz, five in Tihran, and seven in Zanjan.

The Universal House of Justice urges the friends throughout the world to continue their prayers for the Baha'is in Iran and to intensify their services in the path of the Blessed Beauty to compensate for the plight of our oppressed brethren in the Cradle of the Faith. ...

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

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

1/26/23

29 March 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

The Universal House of Justice has asked us to inform you that it has become clear that in the present circumstances the representation of the World Centre at the Lagos Conference by anyone currently residing in South Africa may give rise to unfavourable publicity for the Faith.

It has been decided, therefore, by the Universal House of Justice to invite the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts to represent it at the Lagos Conference.

Four special conferences are being called for the benefit of the friends in Southern Africa, as these friends, because of the prevailing situation, are for the most part unable to attend the Lagos Conference. At these Conferences the Hand of the Cause William Sears will represent the Universal House of Justice.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

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

1/25/23

29 March 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

As you learned from an earlier communication, it has been necessary to transfer the International Conference planned for Manila, Philippines to another location. The Universal House of Justice requested the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia to act as host since it is located at the southern pole of the spiritual axis referred to by the beloved Guardian as extending from "the Antipodes to the northern islands of the Pacific Ocean." It is pleased to announce that the National Assembly has made arrangements to hold the Conference in Canberra from the 2nd through the 5th of September 1982. The Hand of the Cause Dr Ugo Giachery will attend as representative of the House of Justice.

Kindly circulate this information to the friends as quickly as possible. It is hoped that all those who had been planning to attend the Manila Conference will find it possible to support the one now scheduled for Canberra.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

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

1/23/23

11 March 1982: To National Spiritual Assemblies

ON RECOMMENDATION NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY PHILIPPINES FOLLOWING ITS CONSULTATIONS AUTHORITIES VIEW PRESENT DISTURBED CONDITIONS HAVE DECIDED TRANSFER MANILA CONFERENCE ELSEWHERE. NEW DATE VENUE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY TO BAHA'I WORLD.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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

1/21/23

9 March 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

ACCOUNTS HEROISM BELIEVERS CRADLE FAITH FILL OUR HEARTS WITH FEELINGS OF AWE, GRATITUDE, ADMIRATION. MOUNTING CRUELTIES OPPRESSORS MATCHED BY HEIGHTENED ENDURANCE STEADFASTNESS STAUNCH SUPPORTERS GREATEST NAME.

SINCE LAST REPORT ON 11 JANUARY 1982 CROWN MARTYRDOM HAS ADORNED TWO MORE LOVING SOULS, HUSAYN VAHDAT-I-HAQQ OF TIHRAN AND IBRAHIM KHAYRKHAH OF BABULSAR. THE FORMER, A HIGHLY QUALIFIED ELECTRONICS ENGINEER, WAS EXECUTED ON 28 FEBRUARY, EVE OBSERVANCE DECLARATION BAB ACCORDING LUNAR CALENDAR, AND MR KHAYRKHAH, ACTIVE BELIEVER CASPIAN AREA, TWO DAYS EARLIER. BOTH EXECUTED BURIED UNCEREMONIOUSLY WITHOUT RELATIVES FRIENDS BEING INFORMED.

CONFISCATION OF HOMES INNOCENT BAHA'IS WITHOUT PROVOCATION IS CONTINUING.  LOOTING AND AUCTIONING OF FURNISHINGS OF BAHA'I HOME IN ARDIKAN NEAR YAZD WAS PRELUDE TO SERIES SIMILAR RAIDS ON HOMES OTHER BAHA'IS THAT TOWN. IN SHIRAZ 17 MORE HOMES EITHER CONFISCATED OR IN PROCESS CONFISCATION. 35 ADDITIONAL BANK ACCOUNTS OF BAHA'IS IN SHIRAZ NOW FROZEN. SCORES OF BAHA'IS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OR BEEN DEPRIVED THEIR BUSINESS AND TRADE LICENSES. ON ONE OCCASION A HIGH-RANKING AUTHORITY DECREED, IN REPLY TO QUESTION FROM INSURANCE COMPANY, THAT A BAHA'I WIDOW HAD NO RIGHT COLLECT HALF HER HUSBAND'S PENSION DUE HER NOR RETAIN CUSTODY HER CHILDREN. HISTORIC BAHA'I SITES PROGRESSIVELY BEING DEMOLISHED INCLUDING HOUSE BABIYYIH IN MASHHAD.

1/18/23

18 February 1982: To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

Many of the National Spiritual Assemblies have been given a specific goal, during the second phase of the Seven Year Plan, to organize programmes for the development of family life and to nurture in the friends a deeper understanding of the nature of an institution which is at the very base of Baha'i society. In order to help the friends everywhere to strengthen and enrich their family ties, and enable the family unit to reflect the glory of the Words of God, the Universal House of Justice asked its Research Department to prepare a compilation of suitable texts on this subject.

The compilation is now ready and a copy is attached.

The Universal House of Justice leaves it to your discretion to determine how best the contents of this compilation may be shared with the friends under your jurisdiction.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

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

1/10/23

29 January 1982: To National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i friends,

At this time when our thoughts are so often directed toward our beleaguered brethren in the Cradle of the Faith, where no relenting of the persecutions is in sight, the Universal House of Justice is moved to call on National Spiritual Assemblies to schedule a day of prayer in order to extol the memory of the glorious martyrs, and to invoke the power of God to emancipate the Iranian believers from the fetters of oppression and hardship. Each National Assembly should select a suitable day and request all Baha'i communities under its jurisdiction to hold appropriate gatherings on that specific day.

There is no doubt that the persecutions in Iran have attracted the interest of the public in a number of countries to the Cause of God and many have even expressed deep and genuine sympathy for the plight of the Persian friends. In such countries, if the National Assembly considers it desirable, it will be entirely permissible to invite to the prayer meetings, in the spirit and manner befitting the occasion, members of sympathetic organizations or selected individual non-Baha'is. These meetings could confirm and deepen the love and respect that many already cherish in their hearts for the Cause of God.

The following suggestions may be helpful to you:

If invitations are to be extended to non-Baha'i friends, consideration should be given to those in authority both on national and local levels, leaders of thought, prominent people of all walks of life, and those sympathetic to the Faith. A general invitation to the public could also be issued in some localities, if appropriate and advisable.

Where Baha'i centres are unavailable or inadequate for such meetings, public or community halls could be hired. If all efforts fail to obtain such secular facilities, it would also be permissible, as a last resort, to hold the gatherings in public halls owned by, or places of worship of, other religious communities, if such places are spontaneously offered or easily available, and provided it is absolutely clear that the meetings are to be conducted by, and under the auspices of, the Baha'is.

In each country where a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is located the national meeting should be held by the National Assembly concerned in the Mother Temple.

It is important that the gatherings be carefully planned well in advance and the meetings be held with utmost dignity.

In countries where it would not be propitious to invite non-Baha'is to the proposed prayer meetings, such gatherings should as usual be confined to Baha'is.

The House of Justice is confident that the power of prayer emanating from these meetings will attract divine blessings, will cause the souls of those who have joined the hosts on high to rejoice, and will assist the endeavours of the believers everywhere in expediting the triumph of the Cause of God.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

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