Nineteen Day Feast

newsletter
Bah Community of Malaysia
1 Qudrat (Power) 172 B.E. 4 November 2015

The sacred and youthful branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God,
as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected
and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abh
Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the
Exalted One (may my life be offered up for them both).

(Abdul-Bah, The Will and Testament, p. 11)

For circulation among Bahs only

 THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHS OF MALAYSIA
Incorporated under the Companies Act 1965, No. 18247-U

Nineteen Day Feast of Qudrat (Power)

1 Qudrat 172 B.E. 4 November 2015

All Bahs in Peninsular Malaysia

Dearly loved friends,

Loving greetings to all!

As we gather at this Feast of Power, upon the eve of his passing, we call to mind a young man of 24,
still at his studies at Oxford, receiving the shattering news that his beloved Grandfather had left this world,
and upon the reading of His Will and Testament, discovering that he was now responsible for the growth
and development of this fledgling Faith. We recall with awe how that grief-stricken youth transformed
himself, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, into a giant, a general at the head of an Army of Light, drawing
to himself a God-intoxicated band of deputies, the immortal Hands of the Cause, and raising battalions of
loving, obedient and self-sacrificing Knights of Bahullh, all with one single aim: the spiritual conquest
of the planet, as expressed in his remarkable visionary plan the Ten Year World Crusade. We bow our
heads in gratitude and homage to our beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, who passed away on the 4th of
November, 1957 at the age of only 60.

With the passing of the Guardian, after a 6 year period during which the Hands of the Cause guided
and protected the Cause from all manner of attacks from within and without, a service to the Covenant
that we will be eternally grateful for, the first Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963. What a
victory that was, and how fortunate we are that in this day, we have the Supreme Body as the Voice of God
on earth, the infallible channel of divine guidance for a world that is badly in need of it. This guidance
continually flows to the world in the form of the messages of the House of Justice. We are sure that the
dear friends eagerly receive these messages, study them both individually and in groups, reflect deeply
upon them and diligently and obediently put them into practice.

Bahullh says: The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day1 Looking at the
condition of affairs in our beloved country, our region and the world, one cannot help but acknowledge
the truth of these words. As recipients of divine guidance from the House of Justice, the Guardian and the
Central Figures of the Faith, we know that these are the necessary birth pangs for a better world. But are
we to merely comfort ourselves with this understanding? The Supreme Body quotes the beloved Guardian:

Conscious of their high calling, confident in the society-building power which their
Faith possesses, he noted with satisfaction, they press forward, undeterred and undismayed,
in their efforts to fashion and perfect the necessary instruments wherein the embryonic
World Order of Bahullh can mature and develop. It is this building process, slow and
unobtrusive, he reminded them, that constitutes the one hope of a disillusioned humanity.2
1 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahullh LXI
2 Universal House of Justice, letter to the Conference of the Counsellors, 28 December 2010

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 And if our aim be to bring this feeling of hope to humanity, the Supreme Body reminds us:

What should be apparent is that, if the Administrative Order is to serve as a pattern

for future society, then the community within which it is developing must not only acquire
capacity to address increasingly complex material and spiritual requirements but also become
larger and larger in size. How could it be otherwise. A small community, whose members are
united by their shared beliefs, characterized by their high ideals, proficient in managing their
affairs and tending to their needs, and perhaps engaged in several humanitarian projectsa
community such as this, prospering but at a comfortable distance from the reality experienced
by the masses of humanity, can never hope to serve as a pattern for restructuring the whole of
society.1

The number of workers for this process of building up the New World Order needs to grow. We are
so fortunate in that the Supreme Body has given us the framework, methods and instruments to achieve
this:

The mobilization of individuals to ensure steady progress of the programme of growth

is the principal focus of the Area Teaching Committee... Just as the training institute works
closely to guide and accompany the friends who initiate childrens classes, junior youth groups
and study circles, the Area Teaching Committee can encourage and support many individuals
to carry out other acts of service, such as hosting devotional meetings, undertaking home
visits and teaching the Faith. These are not merely activities to be multiplied but fundamental
aspects of Bah community life intended for all The teaching work is broad in scope,
encompassing personal efforts as well as collective projects, selected neighbourhoods as
sundry localities, chosen populations as well as chance acquaintances, firesides as well as
core activities. In this manner, the participation of more and more believers in the community-
building activities of the Plan has profound implications at the level of culture. Devotional
gatherings, the embryo of the local Mashriqul-Adhkr, kindle the stirrings of the spirit and
ignite the flame of service. Visiting one anothers homes weaves bonds of love and union.
Teaching becomes a way of life.2

Dear friends, in a few days, we will celebrate the Births of the Twin Manifestations of God, based on
the Badi Calendar, unitedly throughout the world for the first time. Have no doubt: manifold divine foces
and powers will be released by this united act of homage. Let us ask ourselves what fitting gift we can offer
at Their Threshold. Let us bend every effort so that the remaining months of this present Plan will secure
for us a sound footing from which to launch ourselves next Ridvn into the next stage of development.

God is with you, with each of you. In the twelve months that remain of the Plan, let
every community advance from its present position to a stronger one.3

With loving Bah greetings,

The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahs of Malaysia

1 Ibid.
2 Letter on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, 5 January 2015
3 Ridvn Message 2015

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 FROM THE TREASURERS DESK

Allh-u-Abh friends!

The pie chart graph shows expenses related to Expansion and Consolidation activities for the
period from January to August 2015 in three categories.

The Activities include institute campaigns, youth gatherings, childrens class events,
regional training and conferences, and National Spiritual Assemblys dialogues and
seminars with Local Spiritual Assemblies as well as communities around the country. The
Overhead Costs include rental of premises (eg. hall), hire of equipments (eg projector)
and maintainence of institute facilities (eg learning sites). The Capital Expenses include
purchase of office equipment such as projector and laptop.

As our community becomes more engaged in the Plan and activities become more intensified,
we can naturally expect an increase of expenditure for Expansion and Consolidation
activities in the coming months. This is indeed a healthy reflection on the judicious use of the
BahFund.

To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine,

well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
Bahullh

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Bah Community of Malaysia e-News for the Month of Qudrat 172 B.E. Nov. 2015

Youth Community Building Discourse

The Youth Unity Devotional and Community Building Discourse was held
on Saturday, 3rd October 2015, from 8.30 a.m to 1 pm in Pusat Kreatif
Kanak-Kanak Tuanku Bainun. The Discourse was organised by the Bah
Community of Malaysia, supported by the Department of National Unity
and Integration, and it was graced by the Minister in the Prime Ministers
Department, Y.B. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Kurup.
The day began with a multi faith devotional which saw representatives
from various religious organizations, namely, the Rajeswari Hindu Temple,
Lutheran Church, Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), Nalanda Buddhist Society and the Bah
Faith, joining together in invocation for the unity and well-being of the nation. It was a lovely sight to
observe a diverse group of youth joining hands in this beautiful devotional.

The vibrant group of youth leaders and representatives were then welcomed by Tan Sri Joseph Kurup who
expressed his hope and deepest wish that the active participation of the youth in this Discourse would
enhance the qualities, attitudes, and the ability to reflect on the role of youth in community building and on
ways the youth can contribute further towards the betterment of society.
The Ministers speech was then followed by the Youth Community
Building Discourse.
The objective of the Discourse was to provide a space for youth to
collectively deliberate on their role and experiences in community
building, fostering greater capacity for meaningful service and
constructive change in society as well as building capacity among
youth leaders of Malaysia.

The Discourse definitely served its purpose to

build capacity and to be viewed as part of a
series of an ongoing discourse instead of a
one-time event as many organizations that
attended the Discourse approached the
organisers to conduct a similar roundtable
discourse within their organization. The
Discourse intends to not only move this effort
forward with the same group of facilitators but
also include the participants of the Discourse
as facilitators. The collective learning and
generous sharing of all the participants was
indeed beneficial to all.
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First Level Course on Marriage & Friendship
Subang Jaya Centre, Puchong
(Excerpt from SJ newsletter)
The Mediation and Counselling Task
Force, an Agency of the National Spiritual
Assembly of Malaysia organised a 1st level
course on marriage and friendship for a
group of participants from the Klang Valley
Clusters at the Subang Jaya Centre in
Puchong recently. About 15 youth attended
this one day session.

The group consisting of college youth to

working adults who are either committed
to a relationship or have not given any
thoughts about entering into a relationship or marriage, were coached through a number of presentations and
informal discussions on subjects ranging from going through the throes of courtship to partner compatibility
and to a more serious subject of marriage a fortress of wellbeing.

The participants were also taken through an introductory

session on the subject of the spiritual nature of man,
the material and spiritual bonding of man and woman
through marriage and the eternal union that is ever
lasting throughout the worlds of God.

The session on Entering into a Relationship and

Period of Courtship was a stimulation session on
partner selection, character and personality traits and
mismatches and also questions and consideration for
both partners before tying the knot. The session also
considered some case studies for group reflection and study.

The session on Marriage, The Fortress of Wellbeing discussed the reality of marriage, handling
dysfunctional and disagreement issues in a relationship and the study of the writtings of the Abdul Bah
for a happy and enduring marriage.

The final session was on processes and procedures for marriage, the
prerequisites for the civil and Bah marriage. How to set time lines and
plan ahead, obtaining parental consent, the role of the Local Spiritual
Assembly in the sanctioning of the marriage and some does and dont
when entering into a matrimony with a non-Bah partner.

On the whole the course was structured to be educational, informative

and one that we hope would have create an opportunity to learn about
making informed decisions so vital to the process of partner selection and
marriage.

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Community Building Activities
Gunung Rapat, Ipoh

(Excerpt from Ipoh Newsletter)

It is wonderful to learn that the believers in the neighbourhood of Gunung Rapat, Ipoh, are doing well
in their youth movement, practising the learning process provided by the World Centre. The follow up
activities with these youths were quite immediate when their spirit and interest was still fresh after the
youth gathering. The youth went through a sequence of Ruhi courses beginning with Book 1; they were
then accompanied for home visits to their families and had devotional meeting in their homes. On Sunday,
27th September, the believers in the community got together to hold a Unity Gathering with the purpose of
enabling the youth to show their parents and family members the things they had learned. The parents were
very taken up by the enthusiasm shown by their children.

Unity Devotional
Kuala Kubu Baru
(Excerpt from Hulu Selangor Newsletter)
20th September 2015 witnessed the power of love and unity in
the Bah community as 69 friends from the fledgling cluster
of Hulu Selangor-Selayang came together to make this Merdeka
Unity Devotional Program a resounding success in every way
imaginable!

Of the 69 people who attended, almost one third were friends of

the Faith. The gathering was graced by the presence of Muslim,
Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Bah friends. Bah friends
from the sister community of Selayang*(former Selayang
and Rawang communities) came in full force to lend support
to the community of Hulu Selangor as well as friends from
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Setapak and Bangsar. The atmosphere was spiritually
charged as prayers and spiritual verses from various
scriptures were shared and then it took a patriotic turn
as everyone stood up to sing Sejahtera Malaysia.
Children from the childrens classes in KKB charmed
the friends with sweet prayer chants and spirited
rendition of several Bah songs. The youth group
from Setapak chanted lovely prayers in Mandarin and
Bahasa Malaysia that lent further diversity to a very
colourful event.

As the program came to a close, everyone mingled in

utmost love and unity and partook of the simple spread
that was laid out. New friendships were formed and
old ones rekindled. Everyone kept saying that they look forward to more such programs. A few days after
the event, a new childrens class was started at the nearby Rumah Murah, Padang Tembak at the request of a
COI parent who attended this event.

Documentary shows trial of executed Bahs

Topic: Situation of Iranian Bahs, Human Rights
NEW YORK 21 October 2015Previously unseen footage of the 1981 trial of members of the governing
body of the Bah community in Iran has been broadcast for the first time as part of a documentary about
Irans judicial system. The members of that body were all executed by firing squad shortly after their brief
trial.

The documentary, Iranian Revolutionary Justice, which was broadcast in English (link is external) on
BBC World News and in Persian (link is external) on BBC Persian, explores the functioning and impact of
revolutionary courts in Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It includes interviews with family members
of some of the Bahs shown in the trial footage as well as experts on Iran and human rights. Individuals
from two other groups who faced intense persecution and experienced the trials first hand are also featured.

The Bahs are not the only group who have been persecuted in Iran, although the injustices perpetrated
against them have been systematic and part of the official government policy of Iran since the beginning of
the Islamic Revolution, says Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Bah International Community
to the United Nations in New York.

The film shows a justice system that violates virtually every accepted element of due process, from
arbitrary arrest and detention to closed trials and biased judges. The same system which executed Bahs in
the past continues to imprison them today.

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On 13 December 1981, eight members of Irans National
Spiritual Assemblya nine-member elected national council
that forms part of the Bah administrative structure in all
countrieswere arrested at their meeting in the home of a
local Bah. Fourteen days later, on 27 December, all eight
members were secretly executed by a firing squad.

The names of those executed were, Mr. Mehdi Amin-

Amin, Mr. Jalal Azizi, Dr. Ezzatollah Forouhi, Mrs. Jinous
Mahmoudi, Dr. Mahmoud Majzoub, Dr. Sirous Rowshani, Previously unseen footage of the 1981 trial of
Dr. Ghodratollah Rowhani, Mr. Kamran Samimi. members of the governing body of the Bah
community in Iranexecuted by a firing
Families were not notified of their trial or executions. Their squad shortly after their court proceedings
bodies were buried unceremoniously in barren land reserved has been broadcast for the first time as part
by the government called Kufr Abadthe land of infidels. of a BBC documentary about Irans judicial
system. (photo: BBC/screenshot)
The footage, recently discovered and now broadcast more
than 30 years later, shows two hours of the trial of seven male members of the National Assembly. The
eighth arrested female member, Mrs. Jinous Mahmoudi, does not appear to be part of the trial. However, she
and the other seven members were executed at the same time.

The documentary highlights the lack of due process of law in Irans justice system. This is shown in the
absence of any legal representation or real evidence against the defendants, insufficient time to respond to
accusations, biased judges, and pressure and even threats against lawyers who defend the accused.

In the case of the eight Bahs, the footage ends before the conclusion of the trial and it is not known
whether their sentence was pronounced in court. However, according to the verdict, all eight Bahs were
sentenced to death as well as the subsequent confiscation of their properties. They were executed on the
same day as the trial.

This documentary brings to light the baseless and absurd accusations for which Bahs have been
persecuted for over 30 years, says Ms. Dugal.

To this day the government denies them even the most basic rights as citizens. The persecution is without
justification and not even a single piece of documentary evidence has yet been produced for the allegations
against them. It has impacted the lives of generations, from young infant to frail elderly.

Today, Bahs are still denied the right to higher education and employment in the public sector as well
as benefits of the pension system. They are unjustly arrested and imprisoned. There are currently over 70
Bahs who are in prison in Iran only because of their beliefs. Their cemeteries are destroyed, businesses
and shops are attacked or closed, and the governments extensive use of the mass media as a means to
denigrate systematically and vilify the Bahs has increased in recent years.

It isnt just about the past, says Dr. Akhavan. Its about the present reality of the challenges that we face
in moving Iran towards a culture of human rights.

(Source: http://news.bahai.org/story/1076)

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