One More Entry -- It's Important!

I said the previous entry would be the last, but there is a document that I want to show anyone would stumbles upon this old blog. Please at least read its closing paragraphs. I don't disagree with those who call it bad-ass: (press release)

BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
United Nations Office
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York, NY 10017 USA
Telephone: 212-803-2500, Fax: 212-803-2566, Email: uno-nyc@bic.org

4 March 2009

Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi
Prosecutor General
Islamic Republic of Iran

Your Honor,

Your recent announcement regarding the administrative affairs of the Bahá’ís of Iran has brought to the arena of public debate issues which not only affect the safety and livelihood of the members of that community but also have profound implications for the future of every citizen of that esteemed nation. The steps that have been taken to formulate the response of the Iranian Bahá’í community to your announcement have surely been communicated to you. The Yaran and the Khademin, the small groups that have been attending to the spiritual and social needs of the several hundred thousand Bahá’ís of Iran, the former at the national level and the latter at the local, have expressed their willingness to bring to a close their collective functioning. This decision has been made for no other reason than to demonstrate yet again the goodwill that the Bahá’ís have consistently shown to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the past thirty years.

The Universal House of Justice has assured us that the disruption in the functioning of these groups need not be seen as a cause for concern. There is no doubt in the minds of millions of Bahá’ís residing in virtually every country around the world—nor in the minds of many others who are watching these events with impartiality and who are aware of the historical development of the Faith—that the Bahá’ís in Iran will find ways of managing the spiritual life of their community, as they have done for generations over the past one hundred and sixty-five years of persecution. However, given the gravity of the accusations leveled against the Yaran and the Khademin, we feel obliged, as the representatives at the United Nations of one hundred and seventy-nine National Spiritual Assemblies encircling the globe, to bring certain fundamental points to your attention in an open letter and request that you examine them with the sense of fairness they deserve.

In reference to Article 20 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran pertaining to the rights of its citizens, as well as Article 23 related to freedom of belief, you have stated: “Adherence to a principle or belief is free [to anyone], but to openly express and proclaim it in order to cause deviation in the thoughts of others, to manipulate, pretend, disseminate [ideas], and otherwise attempt to deceive and confuse people will not be permissible.” Such a statement tests credulity to an extreme. It is widely recognized that similar statements have been used by repressive regimes throughout the centuries to justify the arbitrary suppression of conscience and belief. The suggestion that it is possible to separate the convictions held by an individual from their expression in words and action begins an entirely false line of reasoning. To see its absurdity one need only ask oneself what it means to have faith if it is not consciously manifested in one’s relationships with others. Qualifying the argument by implying that only those expressions of belief which cause deviation in the thoughts of others are objectionable may appear reasonable at a first glance. In reality, of course, it is a means of granting license to those in authority to suppress whomsoever they wish, for it leaves open the possibility of labeling any action or comment not to their liking as a cause of deviation in the thoughts of others. In any event, the record of the Bahá’ís of Iran is clear in this respect. They have never sought to cause such deviation, nor have they ever attempted to deceive and confuse people. Since you have raised the issue of freedom of belief in the context of the articles pertaining to the rights of Iranian citizens, knowing full well the Bahá’í record, we can only assume that you have made curtailment in the functioning of the Yaran and the Khademin a condition for according the Bahá’ís at least some of the rights which they have been denied for some thirty years now.

The facts of the matter are, of course, well known to you:

• Following the Islamic revolution in 1979, the Bahá’ís of Iran, who had long been the victims of periodic outbreaks of violence, the later rounds of which had been instigated by the notorious SAVAK, were subjected to a fresh wave of persecution.


• In August 1980 all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran—a national council whose election and functioning are prescribed in the Bahá’í teachings and which forms part of the Bahá’í administrative structure in all countries— were abducted and disappeared without a trace. Undoubtedly they were executed.


• Members subsequently elected to this council, as well as scores of individuals with influence in the Bahá’í community, including several members of Local Spiritual Assemblies—councils operating at the local level—were executed by the government in the years immediately after.


• In response to the announcement made by the Prosecutor General of Iran in 1983 calling for the dismantling of the Bahá’í administrative structure, the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran dissolved itself and the rest of the administrative structure in the country as a demonstration of goodwill towards the government.


• Subsequently, ad hoc arrangements were made to tend to the spiritual and social needs of the 300,000 Bahá’ís in Iran through the formation of the Yaran at the national level and the Khademin at the local level.


• For some twenty years, government agencies had regular contact with the Yaran and the Khademin—some times friendly and other times in the form of unreasonably long and aggressive interrogations—consulted with their members and were entirely aware of their activities. The possibility of some degree of dialogue between the Bahá’ís and government agencies seemed to be emerging.


• During that same period, however, a 1991 memorandum signed by Hujjatu’l Islam Seyyed Mohammad Golpaygani, then Secretary of the Iranian Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council, came to light. It called for the “progress and development” of the Bahá’ís in Iran to be “blocked” through a number of specific measures it advocated and for a plan “to confront and destroy their cultural roots outside the country.”


• While the harassment and ill-treatment of Bahá’ís continued uninterrupted during this period, they have been taken to new levels of intensity in recent years as certain elements that have historically been bent on the destruction of the Bahá’í community have assumed growing influence in the affairs of the country.


• The official campaign to malign the name of the Faith through the mass media—through newspaper articles and Web sites, through radio and television programs and films— escalated around 2005; it has proceeded unabated to this day. There can be little doubt that systematic steps are being taken to implement the provisions set out in the 1991 Bahá’ís in Iran to be “blocked” through a number of specific measures it advocated and for a plan “to confront and destroy their cultural roots outside the country.”


• While the harassment and ill-treatment of Bahá’ís continued uninterrupted during this period, they have been taken to new levels of intensity in recent years as certain elements that have historically been bent on the destruction of the Bahá’í community have assumed growing influence in the affairs of the country.


• The official campaign to malign the name of the Faith through the mass media—through newspaper articles and Web sites, through radio and television programs and films— escalated around 2005; it has proceeded unabated to this day. There can be little doubt that systematic steps are being taken to implement the provisions set out in the 1991 memorandum.


• In March 2006 a confidential letter from the Iranian military headquarters, dated 29 October 2005, asking various intelligence agencies and police organizations, in addition to the Revolutionary Guard, to identify and monitor Bahá’ís around the country, came to the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, raising great concern throughout the world for the safety of the Bahá’ís.


• For more than two decades young Bahá’ís were barred from entering university through an application process that would require them to deny their faith. Though a modification in the process, achieved through worldwide public pressure, enabled a few hundred to register at the start of the 2006–2007 academic year, their hopes of pursuing higher education were soon dashed. That same year the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology issued a letter to eighty-one universities, instructing them to expel any student known to be a Bahá’í.


• The abovementioned letter was followed by another in April 2007 from the Public Intelligence and Security Force restricting the involvement of Bahá’ís, already barred from employment in the public sector, in some twenty types of businesses. The document reinforced ongoing efforts to strangle the economic life of the Bahá’í community.


• In these past few years, the number of Bahá’ís arrested without cause has climbed; the confiscation of Bahá’í personal property has grown; attacks on Bahá’í homes have escalated; acts of arson against Bahá’í properties have proliferated; the desecration and destruction of Bahá’í cemeteries have spread; the sealing of shops owned by Bahá’ís has increased; refusals of bank loans and business licenses to Bahá’ís have multiplied; harassment of landlords with Bahá’í tenants has intensified; threats against fellow citizens who associate with Bahá’ís have mounted; and the vilification of Bahá’í children in their classrooms by teachers has been on the rise. That such acts are being systematically orchestrated city by city is unquestionable.


• Then last year the seven members of the Yaran were imprisoned, one of them in March and the remaining six in May. For some time they were held in solitary confinement and denied access to their families. Although eventually family members were allowed brief visits under strict observation, the prisoners have yet to be given access to legal counsel. The conditions of their incarceration have varied in degree of severity over the course of the past several months, with the five male members confined at one time to a cell no more than ten square meters in size, with no bed.


• Finally, after some nine months of imprisonment, during which time not a shred of evidence could be found linking the members of the Yaran to any wrongdoing, they were accused of “espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” and it has been announced that their case will soon be submitted to court with a request for indictment.


• This announcement was followed almost immediately by news reports which indicated that you had written to the Minister of Intelligence stating that the existence of the Yaran and the Khademin in Iran is illegal, while at the same time raising the question of the constitutional right of Iranian citizens to freedom of belief. You then made an official announcement to this effect.

*

Your Honor, the events of recent years and the nature of the accusations made raise questions in the mind of every unbiased observer as to the intent behind the systematic perpetration of injustice against the Bahá’ís of Iran. Even if there might have been some misunderstandings about the motives of the Bahá’í community during the early turbulent days of the revolution, how can such suspicions persist today? Can it be that any member of the esteemed government of Iran truly believes the false accusations which have been perpetuated about the Bahá’ís in that country? Are not the following facts well known to the authorities in the various branches of the government?

• In whatever country they reside, Bahá’ís strive to promote the welfare of society. They are enjoined to work alongside their compatriots in fostering fellowship and unity and in establishing peace and justice. They seek to uphold their own rights, as well as the rights of others, through whatever legal means are available to them, conducting themselves at all times with honesty and integrity. They eschew conflict and dissension. They avoid contest for worldly power.


• It is a fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith that its followers strictly refrain from involvement in any partisan political activity, whether local, national or international. Bahá’ís view government as a system for maintaining the welfare and orderly progress of human society, and obedience to the laws of the land is a distinguishing feature of their beliefs.


• To take any action in willful violation of allegiance to one’s own country is explicitly proscribed in the Scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith. Adherence to this principle has been amply demonstrated by Bahá’ís everywhere.


• The Bahá’í administrative structure, which is established in more than one hundred and eighty countries worldwide, is a means for channeling the energies of Bahá’ís in service to the common good and for organizing the religious and social affairs of the Bahá’í community itself. For Bahá’ís, the concept does not imply in any way the existence of a political agenda or any kind of interference in the affairs of the government.


• The international headquarters of the Bahá’í Faith is located within the borders of modern-day Israel as a result of the successive banishments imposed on Bahá’u’lláh in the mid-nineteenth century by the Persian and Ottoman governments. Exiled from His native Persia, Bahá’u’lláh was sent to Baghdad, Constantinople and Adrianople and finally to the fortress-city of Acre in 1868, eighty years prior to the establishment of the State of Israel, where He eventually died in 1892. That Bahá’ís in all parts of the world are today in contact with the international headquarters of their Faith regarding their individual and collective affairs is entirely natural and is a well-established fact.


• Bahá’ís have the highest respect for all religions. Our Writings refer to Islam as “the blessed and luminous religion of God” and the Prophet Muhammad as “the refulgent lamp of supreme Prophethood,” “the Lord of creation” and “the Day-star of the world,” Who, “through the will of God, shone forth from the horizon of Hijaz.” The station of Imam Ali is described in terms such as “the moon of the heaven of knowledge and understanding” and “the sovereign of the court of knowledge and wisdom.” In the Tablet of Visitation revealed by Bahá’u’lláh Himself for Imam Husayn, He refers to him as “the pride of the martyrs” and “the day-star of renunciation shining above the horizon of creation.”


• Bahá’ís are exhorted to evince a high sense of moral rectitude in their activities, chastity in their individual lives, and complete freedom from prejudice in their dealings with people of every race, class and creed.

*

In light of these well-established facts, Your Honor, it is difficult to understand how words such as “manipulative” and “deceitful,” “dangerous” and “threatening,” can be applied to Bahá’í activity in Iran. Do you consider dangerous the efforts of a group of young people who, out of a sense of obligation to their fellow citizens, work with youngsters from families of little means to improve their mathematics and language skills and to develop their abilities to play a constructive part in the progress of their nation? Is it a threat to society for Bahá’ís to discuss with their neighbors noble and high-minded ideals, reinforcing the conviction that the betterment of the world is to be achieved through pure and goodly deeds and through commendable and seemly conduct? In what way is it manipulative for a couple to speak in the privacy of their home with a few friends confused by the portrayal of Bahá’ís in the mass media and to share with them the true nature of their beliefs, which revolve around such fundamental verities as the oneness of God and the oneness of humankind? What duplicity is there if a child at school, after listening to offensive language about the Founder of her Faith Whom she so loves, politely raises her hand and requests permission to explain to her classmates some of the teachings she follows? What deceit is there if a young person, committed to the acquisition of knowledge and learning, seeks the right from the authorities to enter university without having to lie about his faith? What harm is done if several families gather together periodically for communal worship and for the discussion of matters of concern to them all? Given that the human soul has no sex, is it so alarming for someone to express the view that men and women are equal in the sight of God and should be able to work shoulder to shoulder in all fields of human endeavor? And is it so unreasonable for a small group of people, in the absence of the administrative structures prescribed in their teachings, to facilitate the marriage of young couples, the education of children and the burial of the dead in conformity with the tenets of their Faith?

These are but a few examples of the various endeavors for which the Bahá’ís of Iran are being so grievously persecuted. It is the right to engage in such activity that has been denied them for thirty years.

Your Honor, many times over these twenty years the Yaran and the Khademin have been told by government officials that they are in fact protecting the Bahá’í community from those who regard its members as a negative element in society. It is true that there may be a small fraction in any populace who, succumbing to the forces of hatred and enmity, can be incited to perform acts of cruelty and oppression. But, in the main, our vision of the Iranian people does not correspond with the one projected by such officials. Narrow-mindedness and pettiness are not the qualities that we attribute to them. Rather do we see the staunch commitment to justice evinced by the citizens of one town who petitioned the government when several shops owned by Bahá’ís were closed without reason. We see the fidelity shown by the young musicians who refused to perform when their Bahá’í counterparts were prohibited from playing in a recital. We see the courage and tenacity of university students who stood ready to prepare a petition and to forgo participation in examinations that their Bahá’í classmates were barred from taking. We see the compassion and generosity of spirit exhibited by the neighbors of one family, whose home was attacked with a bulldozer, in their expressions of sympathy and support, offered at all hours of the night, and in their appeals for justice and recompense. And we hear in the voices raised by so many Iranians in defense of their Bahá’í compatriots echoes from their country’s glorious past. What we cannot help noting, with much gratitude towards them in our hearts, is that a majority of those coming out in support of the beleaguered Bahá’í community are themselves suffering similar oppression as students and academics, as journalists and social activists, as artists and poets, as progressive thinkers and proponents of women’s rights, and even as ordinary citizens.

Your Honor, the decisions to be taken by the judiciary in Iran in the coming days will have implications that extend well beyond the Bahá’í community in that land––what is at stake is the very cause of the freedom of conscience for all the peoples of your nation. It is our hope that, for the sanctity of Islam and the honor of Iran, the judiciary will be fair in its judgment.

Respectfully,

Bahá’í International Community

cc: Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

The Last Entry

I haven't been posting much in these last few weeks. I've missed some cool things. No biggie. The following are pages of a letter to my Aunt Edith in South Africa. It summarises a lot of my feelings and thoughts.

The LD Has Landed (Again)

Today was this second day of the Breezes of Confirmation camp. Despite the hiccups along the way, it really is a blast. Yesterday the boys and I made a deal that, if they worked hard on their handwritting and staying focussed, they could make a concoction out of whatever edible stuff they found in the kitchen. With CJ's supervision, they created a delightfully disgusting mixture. When you see me ask me to show you the videos. They are so much fun! (I'd post pictures, but sleep and taking care of responsibilities here are higher priorities. It's time consuming because I need to use CJ's computer to do it.)

LD has returned to St. Kitts after like five or six months in St. Maarten. We are so happy to have him back. Halva was here, too, to welcome our dear friend. We had a great time catching up and sharing stories.

My mood is has been confusing lately. I can get like that occasionally. I'm in this kinda transition mode between St. Kitts and Antigua > home > Maine. It's that time of the year for Miquela, too, so I share her sentiments. Just ten days away from leaving St. Kitts, various thoughts run through my head. I am so thankful and happy about being here and everything that has happened. When will I see these great friends again? Did I work hard enough? What will I take away from here? What will I leave behind? What's next? There's a too much of the last question, though. I'm really trying to stay focussed on the now, despite being aware that "the now" is quickly disappearing.

Over the weekend, I visited the wonderful Williams in Nevis. I got a decent share of sun (working on Lloyd's lettuce farm – Nevis Hydro Gardens) and food (compliments of chef Millie). They wanted to fatten me up before sending me home; everyone has been saying I lost weight, which I guess is a result of me being more responsible for having food to eat than I have been before. We had Feast on Sunday. Even though I was/wanted to be happy to be there, I couldn't let it shine bright as I hoped for some reason. ... Oh, on the ferry to Nevis, I met a brother (7) and sister (9) who were fleeing Guyana with their family because someone wanted to kill them. Yes, it's a sick, sad world, but these innocent children need not be brought into the mess. I joyfully welcomed them to the Federation. We had a lot of fun learning about each other!

Ruby Thomas – the best guidance counsellor in the Federation – organised another camp for this Monday through Thursday. The theme is "Moving to Excellence", so it's about the kids striving for the best in "what I think and say and do" (quote from the camp's pledge). After the first day, I felt rejected because the kids, well, rejected the activity I tried and called me "white man" and "anti-man". But Cristina approriately reminded me that my interaction with the children is not about me. Very true. My role is to unconditionally shower them with love, understanding and support. The second day – today – I was the A/V dude / resource room operator, so I didn't get as much direct interaction with the children. However, the limited one-on-one time I did had was very positive. I can tell that a lot of them are learning about themselves and/or are feeling the results of loving attention, which is rare for many of this group.

Tonight, CJ, Kay and I got into the actual planning of the coming weekend's junior youth intensive for Breezes of Confirmation. We're not expecting it to go perfectly as planned, but that's a lesson Kay put into words for me: Plan ahead thoroughly, and let them change along the way; otherwise, you'll be winging everything and do a poor job. Boy, we're having so much fun just planning it and imagining how it will be with the junior youth on Saturday. I can only imagine what it will be like to get the real animator training.

Next up: Tying up loose ends before it's too late. But first, bed!

Music: Moby & my Bedtime playlist

The Last Four Days

[Update at bottom.] On Tuesday, Lloyd had a great session with peer counellors at Washington Archibald High School. The two who were there were the same who attended the September training we gave on Breezes of Confirmation and teh Virtues Project. They are all over Sona Arbab's talk and really understand the importance of the programmes for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth. Now, that's not directly related to the "life of Leif", but it is a testament to these shared expereinces we are having here. We have a common vision. We each play our own role. We are confident that the others are doing what is best. We support each other and forgive each other's shortcomings and misunderstandings. I truly love Lloyd. I love everyone here.

Amyié (better known as Amy) is a Young Leader from Sandy Point High School whom Lloyd met at Washi and whom CJ and I have met several times while visiting her part of the island. She is a wonderful and amazing youth. The essay Kay helped her type up was all about unity and what the world really needs. She's a great singer, so Kay asked her to put one of The Hidden Words to music. She is one wicked-cool cat.

Scheduling madness. I don't know how it is at other schools, but at Rutgers you use "WebReg" – an online course registration system. It only took me 19 minutes on Wednesday night to get the schedule you see in the picture, which is very good considering how busy the system can get. I've spent about two days here planning my major path. I think I'll be going with the professional physics major (B.S.), followed by a Master's in teaching. My schedule still isn't finalised, but I'm in communication with an advisor or three (and Darlene here); they (and divine assitance)'ll help me figure it out eventually.

Mediocre training session. Next week is the "Moving to Excellence" camp, so the training for all the volunteers was on Wednesday and Thrusday. The trainers were two gentlemen from Trinidad. They specialise in sexuality education, which I suppose is why the sessions were overly obsessed with sexuality. The trainers are great people, but their presentation lacked relevance and depth.

"Rejecting low sights of mediocrity..." I like that quote a lot. It's been on my mind this week. It applies to choosing the more challenging and demanding professional physics major over the general one, and to the mediocre training session.

We went to the Sounth Friar's Bay beach this afternoon. Plenty of fish and rocks. Hopefully the pictures find there way here sooner than later. I watched the Huqúqu'lláh DVD tonight. Very exciting!

[Added: Oh, yeah. I have ringworm bellow my lip. Since I haven't been kissing anyone, it's probably from interacting with kids and touching my face. Also, Cj gave me a haircut this morning. She did a great job for a first timer. And I'd like to (get dorky and) give a shout out to my friends and new readers at Delsea.]

A Day Late and a Dollar Fish Short

Yesterday the long awaited fishing trip happened. Halva drove CJ and I out to the sugar factory pier. Kay followed soon after dropping Lynda at the ferry terminal. (Lynda is doing Virtues Project training up in Nevis this week.) We used line, hooks, and sinkers but no poles. A kind gentleman named Marty helped me out. With his guidance, I caught a six-incher but threw it back. Marty is a security guard and knows Desmond (the Bahá'í who takes care of the bills).

In a pre-fishing chat over lunch Halva shared the following regarding the interconnectedness of all that are in the heavens and on the earth:

"Ain't no me without you."

Today CJ and I went to the Tucker Clarke Primary School where we gave four introductory computer lessons to fifth and sixth graders. It went mostly very well. The children were excited to learn, but the older ones weren't challenged and got rambunctious. There are two more sessions tomorrow. It's the last week of school before Easter break. CJ will probably take over the computer classes when I leave.

Tonight I rethink my class schedule for next semester. It looks like I'll actually have to declare a major and take courses in it, as opposed to dilly dallying and taking whatever courses I think are cool. It's frustrating, but I am keeping in mind to trust in God. As always, I'm sure some sincere prayer and meditation will get me through.

Ah sleepy.

A Non-Stop Great Day

To be expanded upon later.

Ah jus' wan' get across a bit of da accent St. Kitts people does talk wid, as ah see it. Ah hope mi na insult nobody a tall in doin' so. Ah exaggeratin' just a little bit.

Janeel an' Juni passed by in da mwarning with bamboo for kite makin'. Desmond helped me make mine relly awesome. Janeel said they gon' miss me what have to leave. Ah sho' gon' miss dem too.

Da tree kids ah does pick up each week done say da same ting on da way to da centre for da reflection meeting. When Lloyd done say da prayer for children at the start of the meeting, ah tought ah would cry, boy. Ah relly truly gon' miss dem.

We wanted da kids and youth to be involved wid da discussion. This come off well, but they got restless after the first hour or so. Ah done take 'em out back to play.

Da meeting done take 5 hours to finish! It was very productive and exciting. I honestly loved it when the discussion turned heated because you just knew that, underneat i tall, dere is a deep love among da Bahá'ís dat transcends whadever confusion dere is at da moment. Ah does LOVE it!

Women's Expo '06

Women's Expo '06
Originally uploaded by nabil1030.

Me and the Jehovah's Witness discussing the principles of the Faith.

اذان (kind of)

I invoke you, dear well-wishing reader, to send some "scattering angels" to St. Kitts:

Tonight On Saturday afternoon, the community is having a reflection meeting to plan for the next three months of progress in the realm of children's classes, junior youth programmes, public devotional gatherings, and study circles on "the life of the spirit."
Friday is a women's expo. The Bahá'ís have a table in the religion tent. The nation is thirsting for Bahá'u'lláh's refreshing declaration of the absolute equality of women and men. It is this sense of partnership, which was promoted at the recent UN women's event in New York City, that got the Bahá'ís invited to present.

...to be updated with more links...

I am loving these last days.

Cristina and I did the social skills class at the Bronte Welsh Primary School. We tried applying some activities from Ruhi Book 5 (Teaching Children's Classes: Grade 2). The real materials for the programme only arrived today and we have been improvising with anything and everything we can think of that is a refreshingly positive alternative to the physical and emotional violence they are used accustomed to. The session had it's difficulties due to a still increasing level of cooperation and mutual respect, but it was wonderful that the responsible teacher is playing a more active role because she will have to take over when CJ and I are gone. Even though she gave licks to the boy who was having a bad day emotionally, she did appeal to some other boys' sense of forgiveness to resolve a conflict. Hey, we'll take what we can get!

Off to Basseterre High School for the closing ceremony of a series of empowering presentations for students from four primary schools organised by the Young Leaders team of the high school. There were a couple amazing things about the event. Well, we saw some people whom we haven't seen since the initial Virtues Project™/Breezes of Confirmation training at the beginning of September, which is nothing surprising. It was exciting, though, that the youth remembered us from that event, but we are not all they remembered... Much more importantly and way more exciting, the girl who gave a synopsis of their project directly quoted a certain talk on programs for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth from a certain 2004 conference in Sydney and Perth, Australia – twice! The second time was, unbeknownst to her, the words of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Also, the minister who gave the keynote used `Abdu'l-Bahá's analogy of an uncultivated plot of land becoming very bushy and ugly, just as an uneducated child becomes unpleasant and a burden.

WHOOPS!!! We locked Darlene out of the Centre for two hours while we were at the ceremony. She was worried that we had gotten in an accident – not a happy camper. Our bad!

Becky and her mom came over for a great devotional. We, of course, had the requisite prayer for the Bahá'ís in Iran. (See bahai.org/iranthreat if you haven't yet.) This was followed by delicious dinner of mac&cheese, string beans, and a desert of ginger ice cream and ginger snaps. While Kay and the mom chatted about the Faith, Cory and Becky taught us Kittitian dominos. It's fun! I want to share it with friends back "home" this summer. CJ and I taught them hukm. They enjoyed it.

I don't want to type because my shoulders are in a lot of pain, but I have really exciting news.

The study circle we have been trying to start since October finally just happened by accident tonight. Rosemary came. Halva came. Sherlene, her daughter N'Zinga, and their three sons came. After some chit-chat, we finally began. Moments later, Darlene sat down and took over facilitating. She apologized later, but I don't really mind becasue I learned a lot from her experience which is twenty times more extensive than mine own. I'll be better prepared for next week.

Saturday Bahá'í classes keep getting better and better. I hope for my junior youth group to develop a selfless service project to help the environment in the coming weeks ...

I only have three more sessions with them before I go to Antigua for the National Convention and then home.

That's right. I've been offered a job at Green Acre. Since it starts in the first week of May, I need to push up my 17 June departure date to 25 April. 'Tis bittersweet. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't more sweet than bitter. I have spent a lot of time here in St. Kitts and Nevis. Although it is unfortunate that I will be leaving sooner than expected, it is making me cherish my time more and double my efforts in all areas. I need to make the most of the time I have left. Of course, I would love to return here someday, but God knows how, when, and if that will happen. This job at Green Acre, though, is a dream come true.

Tomorrow Halva is going to take us on a trek into the hills. Normally, I wouldn't be particularly thrilled to go. But, knowing that my Kittian days are limitted, I want to do everything I can to appreciate the beauty of the island and of my friendships.

I'll see many of you readers sooner than expected. :-)

UN Religious Freedom Official expresses fears for Baha'is in Iran

This is too urgent and dire not to post.

For as long as the Bahá'í Faith has existed (since 1863), its adherents in Iran have been ridiculed, harrassed, persecuted, fired from jobs, mugged, robbed, denied rights, torn apart, killed ... This meagre mention cannot pretend to begin to remotely describe the treatment the Bahá'ís have recieved and continue to peacefully endure. Their only provocation has been their belief in Bahá'u'lláh as the Manifestation of God for today – a decision includes dedicating one's life to service to humanity. (Yes, I am a Bahá'í, so one could assume that this is a biased statement, but I dare such an assumer to prove otherwise. Even the persecutors themselves cannot refute these facts.)

In recent times, namely 1955 and 1979, this mistreatment in Iran has come in waves of increased intensity. If we apply harmonic motion metaphorically, the period is up and a new wave of hardships is due. This is the case. Within the past three years Bahá'í holy sites have been demolished, a building significant in Bahá'í history has been destroyed, Bahá'í college students have been denied higher education, and Bahá'ís have undergone arbitrary detentions in prison, and a wrongly imprisoned Bahá'í died of "unknown causes" while serving a life sentence. This is not the full picture, but it should be clear that it is obviously gettin worse.

"[A] confidential letter sent on 29 October 2005 by the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran to a number of governmental agencies" has been exposed.

"The letter," [United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir] said, "which is addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard and the Police Force, states that the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, had instructed the Command Headquarters to identify persons who adhere to the Baha'i faith and monitor their activities. The letter goes on to request the recipients to, in a highly confidential manner, collect any and all information about members of the Baha'i faith."

Personal opinion: Evidence suggests that the situation in Iran is tailspinning into (God forbid!) another period of arbitrary unjustified mass persecution, like the ones that have been happening at an increasing rate throughout the world these days in this Day. If humanity does not step up to the plate wicket, it will be their own loss.

On a much more joyous note, today is Naw-Rúz – the Bahá'í new year. Last night there were fastivities for it all over the world. May this be a fruitful year for all your efforts to make this world more unified.

Happy Naw-Rúz!

It was a wodnerful evening. Thirty-three people came, including Dana.

Prayers. Songs. Food. Two hours of fun with the kids.

...pictures!!!

Yippie!

Today's Bahá'í classes were awesome! Seven children, 8 junior youth, and 2 youth showed up. I'm loving this expereince as animating the growing junior youth group. It was a wonderful suprise and blessing for everyone. I'm digging myself in deeper photographic debt.

My computer's power supply went caput. I'll be borrowing one of Lloyd's from Nevis. Thank God for Apple. (Hmm ... That's a bit more materialistic than I would like to be. ...so thank God for the Fast!)

Kay, Cristina and I started reviewing Book 6 for fun.

You might remember Jaz from a while back. He has since released his album Queen-Sugar - named after Queen City (Nevis) and Sugar City (St. Kitts). Since there is a bit of political unrest here in the Federation and disunity between Kittitians and Nevisians, his CD is a timely step towards unity in my opinion. (See a feature of him and the album here.)

We just went to hear him play at Marshalls, fancy-dancy restaurant above Frigate Bay. There were a bunch of Marriot guests there for some planned dinner. The poor people paid for an over priced non-local meal and heared between the restaurant and the hotel in these buses. They were robbed of what would have been a pleasant and refreshing walk under the moonlit sky. After they rolled out, we took their seats, had some sodas, and listen to Jaz for an hour. Then he sat with us and shared about the history of music in St. Kitts-Nevis. He's working on a chronology (book + DVD) to give to the next generation a glimpse beyond the current tasteless hip-hop phenomenon. He just might stop by the Centre and jam with Cristina. Or we can all lime at the Williams' next week ... with the Kvalheims(?)!