Tag: religion

How did you spend Naw-Ruz? Send us your photos!

Published on by TVBahaiLeave a comment

Yesterday (Wednesday 21 March) saw Bahá’ís throughout the Thames Valley mark Naw-Ruz, the Bahá’í New Year’s Day. The festival is held on the spring equinox (March 21) and symbolises the new life of spring. It also marks the end of the Bahá’í Faith’s annual 19-day fast for adults. The 19-day fast – between sunrise and sunset – is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation.

The Naw-Ruz is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended. Observing Naw-Ruz takes different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 places where Bahá’ís reside around the world. Many Bahá’ís mark the occasion with family and friends on Naw-Ruz – often these get-togethers are celebrations which will include readings of prayers from the Bahá’í scriptures, as well as music, dance and food.

How did you celebrate Naw-Ruz? Let us know who you are, whereabouts in the world you are and what you did, using the comment button below!  You can even send your Naw-Ruz photographs to susan@1bahai.org

Prayers for the seven Bahá’í leaders

Published on by TVBahaiLeave a comment

Prayers will be said tomorrow (10 April) by members of the Bahá’í Faith in West Berkshire – the expected third court date for the seven Bahá’í leaders imprisoned in Iran.

The seven defendants have been responsible for tending to the spiritual and social needs of the country’s 300,000 Bahá’ís since the formal dissolution of Bahá’í institutions in 1983. In January this year, the seven were presented with formal charges including espionage and ‘corruption on earth’.

Shawn Khorassani, a West Berkshire based Bahá’í, said: “April 10 is an important day for Bahá’ís around the world, as it’s the third court date for the Bahá’í leaders who’ve been imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison for two years now.

“Members of the Bahá’í Faith in West Berkshire will be saying prayers for the leaders on the day of the next trial session and we hope others will pray for them too.

“Lawyer Cherie Blair stated earlier this year that the trial of the Bahá’í leaders should matter to all who care about human rights. In Iran, the fight for human rights is a matter of life and death for the Bahá’í Community among others.”