Thames Valley Bahá’í Community

The power of forgiveness

TVBahai — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:51:00 +0000

A favourite quote of one of the West Berkshire’s Bahá’í Community: ”Forgiveness, the bridge to the Soul of your brother and sister. The veil of projection. Awakening requires vigilance and discipline. How forgiveness heals. Reactivity indicates the need for self-forgiveness. Healing exercise. Ending your day.”

For more details about the West Berkshire’s Bahá’í Community call 07964 676461 or email myra@khorassani.com

Uplifting music encircles the world

TVBahai — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:15:03 +0000

For a truly uplifting experience, listen to this musical tribute to Bahá’i artists around the globe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j58Zd_aPnQc

Around the world in one religion . . .

TVBahai — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:39:28 +0000

People of every nationality, race, ethnic group, and religious background around the world have declared their belief in the Bahá’í Faith. Shown here is a group of people from around the world who have volunteered to serve at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Reprinted by courtesy of Bahá’í International Community.

The Bahá’í Faith is described as an independent, monotheistic religion. It is established in virtually every country of the world.

Bahá’ís believe that the world’s major religions represent unfolding chapters in God’s teachings for humankind, and that the writings of Bahá’u’lláh represent God’s guidance for this age.

Bahá’u’lláh’s central teaching is the unity of humanity under one God.

Charity saved him from ill-feted Titanic voyage . . .

TVBahai — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:15:49 +0000

In 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent from April to December touring North America. He is shown here (at center) with Bahá’ís at Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1912. Reprinted with permission of the Bahá’í International Community.

There has been some epic storytelling over the past few weeks marking the one hundred years ago since the “unsinkable” Titanic sank into the North Atlantic, taking with her more than 1,500 lives.

Of all the stories, one of the most extraordinary is that of a 68-year-old Persian who was supposed to be on the ill-fated vessel but wasn’t - it turns out - actually there.

Abbas Effendi - known as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá or “the Servant of God” - was feted by the press in both Europe and the U.S. as a philosopher, a peace apostle, even the return of Christ. His American admirers had sent him thousands of dollars for a ticket on the Titanic, and begged him to ride in the greatest of opulence.

His saving grace for that ill-feted journey was that he declined and gave the money to charity.

Is April 21 important to you?

TVBahai — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:40:45 +0000

Ridvan Garden - meaning 'paradise' in Arabic. Reprinted with permission of the Bahá’í International Community.

The Festival of Ridvan, celebrated from April 21 to May 2 1863, commemorates the 12 days when Bahá’u'lláh resided in a garden called Ridvan (Paradise) in Baghdad.

At this time, He publicly proclaimed His mission as God’s messenger – that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions.

The first (April 21), ninth (April 29) and twelfth (May 2) are holy days when work is suspended. They mark the day of Bahá’u'lláh’s arrival in the garden, the arrival of His family and the group’s departure for Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) – where he was exiled.

Throughout Ridvan, Bahá’is gather for prayers and meditations and attend social gatherings. It is also during this time that elections take place for Bahá’i governing bodies.

10,000 days in prison

TVBahai — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:16:21 +0000

10,000 days is a long time in anybody’s book, but especially so for Iran’s seven former Baha’i leaders.

Imprisoned for more than 10,000 days between them. Reprinted with permission of the Bahá’í International Community.

For on 1 April that’s how long they’d spent in prison between them.

Read more about the story of Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm here.

Ms. Sabet was detained on 5 March 2008. Her six colleagues were arrested in early morning raids on their homes on 14 May 2008.

In the Garden of Ridvan . . .

TVBahai — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:19:27 +0000

Saturday (April 21) marks the start of the 12-day Festival of Ridvan for Bahá’is across the world. It’s a time of commemmoration for the time Bahá’u'lláh spent in the Garden of Ridvan before being exiled from Baghdad to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).

Bahá’u’lláh spent 40 years of his life in exile (he was originally sent from his native Tehran in Persia – present-day Iran – in 1853).

The Festival of Ridvan marks the anniversary of Baha’u'llah’s declaration in 1863 that He was a new messenger of God. He called Ridvan the “King of Festivals” and the “Festival of God,” among other names.

Bahá’is throughout the Thames Valley are gathering on April 21 for prayers and meditations at the start of the Festival of Ridvan. April 21 is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

On Friday the 13th . . .

TVBahai — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:57 +0000

On Friday the 13th, an extra ‘thought for the month’ from Thames Valley Baha’i Community . . . taken from The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Pages 194-197: gr4, author ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982 second edition):

“Such suppositions regarding lucky or unlucky numbers are purely imaginary. The superstition concerning thirteen had its origin in the fact that Jesus Christ was surrounded by twelve disciples and that Judas Iscariot was the thirteenth member of their gathering. This is the source of the superstition, but it is purely imaginary. Although Judas was outwardly a disciple, in reality he was not.

“Twelve is the original number of significance and completion. Jacob had twelve sons from whom descended twelve tribes. The disciples of Jesus were twelve; the Imáms of Muḥammad were twelve. The zodiacal signs are twelve; the months of the year are twelve, etc.”

The words were taken from a talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, delivered in New York at the home of Mr and Mrs Howard MacNutt, 935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York on 16 June 1912.

More details from Bahai Reference Library.

Enjoying Naw-Ruz in Equatorial Guinea

TVBahai — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:24:04 +0000

For Bahá’í communities around the world, 21 March was a very special day – their New Year’s Day.

This photograph, of Baha’i children at a 1989 Naw-Ruz (New Year) celebration in Equatorial Guinea, is the latest in the series of pictures – presented by Thames Valley Baha’i Community – taken around the world at past Naw-Ruz celebrations.

The Bahá’í New Year, also known as Naw-Ruz (which means New Day), coincides with the start of spring and is the year 167 in the Bahá’í calendar, which dates from 1844 (birth of the Bahá’í Faith).

1 April is no April Fool’s

TVBahai — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:43:13 +0000

1 April is traditionally a day when there can be fun and laughter – known as April Fool’s Day. But 1 April is no laughing matter for Iran’s seven former Baha’i leaders.

For 1 April marks 10,000 days that Iran’s seven former Baha’i leaders have spent in prison between them. Throughout this time they have been deprived of the rights accorded to prisoners under Iran’s own laws and regulations.

In an initiative coordinated by human rights group United4Iran, large images of the seven are being displayed on mobile billboards and in other settings in some 12 major cities around the world.