Antipodean Bahá’í Studies

ABS-Japan 17th Annual Conference
Call for Papers
Date: September 19th (Sat.) - 20th(Sun.)
Venue: Tokyo Bahai Center
Theme: Ideal society for the 21st century
The theme of the conference, “Ideal society for the 21st century,” ranges over a large area of study, which we hope allows us to explore the fields of our interests from various points of view.
Possible topics to be discussed are:
1. What is an ideal society?
2. What are some problems of the present society and what are their causes?
3. What is required to realize an ideal society?
4. What can each of us do in order to realize it?
The topics you study and what you focus on depend on your interests and your fields of specialties. Both individual and group presentations are welcome in either language, Japanese or English, as simultaneous translation will be available at the conference. You are free to choose any style or method. You may use printed materials as well as visual equipment. Discussion or some kind of demonstration may be included. We hope that as many of you as possible will take this opportunity to explore your fields of interests and share your thoughts at the conference.

Qualification 1) Bahais, 2) Non-Bahais who are interested in the Bahai Faith or/and in realizing an ideal society
Type of presentation 1) Individual presentation 2) Group presentation
Method of Presentation 1) Presentation with written or visual materials, 2) Presentation with demonstration or exhibition, 3) Dialogue, discussion, or other styles

Koki Sugimoto, Conference site chair
ADRESS 1558 Shinohara-cho, Kouhoku-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 222-0026
E-MAIL bricolage_koki@yahoo.co.jp
FAX 045-401-5497

It’s not too late to make plans to attend the 33rd Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies– North America! The conference, on the theme “Environments,” will be held 13–16 August 2009, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D. C.

The conference will open Thursday morning with several general sessions as well as the Student/Faculty Development Program A special all-day workshop on  Thursday will explore the topic “Engaging the Writings: Scholarship and a Broad Pattern of Action.” Participants will be invited to examine excerpts from the Writings and identify insights on how to engage in and develop new approaches toward scholarship that advance Bahá’í Studies in areas such as global social and economic prosperity, defense of the Faith and the explanation and exploration of its teachings, and correlation of the teachings with the works in various disciplines. The afternoon session, “Some Explorations in Applying Bahá’í Scholarship,” will seek to connect knowledge with a cycle of learning, reflection and action with an emphasis on making a positive contribution to improving society. Presenters Dorothy Marcic, Peter Engstrom, and Johann Wong are from the arts, business and social development arenas and exemplify a strong commitment to putting principles into action.

 Also on Thursday afternoon, the International Environment Forum (IEF) will host a workshop led by Arthur Dahl on “Values-Based Indicators of Sustainable Development,” which welcomes all who are interested in learning about and contributing thoughts to an EU-funded project to develop values-based indicators of sustainable development. Dr. Dahl is senior consultant to the project, which is being jointly undertaken by a number of interested Europeanbased organizations, inspired in part by the Bahá’í International Community’s statement, “Valuing Spirituality in Development.”

Thursday evening’s plenary session on will feature Dr. Dahl’s presentation, “Transforming Environments from the Inside Out.”

The Friday morning plenary session organized by the IEF and moderated by Tahirih Naylor of the Bahá’í International Community will address the topic, “Global Governance, Human Maturity, and the Challenge of Sustainability.” This session will explore the emerging need for more effective international environmental governance in light of the widespread acknowledgement that current approaches are insufficient to safeguard the interests of an increasingly interdependent world. The emergence of a global consciousness of  oneness and the requisite degree of human maturity required to ensure a transition from national to global governance approaches will also be examined.

Peter Adriance, NGO Liaison for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S., will present on “The Essential Role of Religion in Fostering a Sustainable World.” Next, featured presenter Peter G. Brown will address the conference. Dr. Brown is co-author of the book, Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy (February 2009). The book, which was written by a cooperative group, emerged from the Quaker tradition of dialogue and truth-seeking. The Moral Economy Project and the authors start with the idea that human well-being is entirely dependent on the well-being of the whole commonwealth of life. Dr. Brown’s reflections have garnered strong interest from leaders of thought on the themes of global governance, human maturity, and sustainability.

The presentation will begin by defining the concepts of “right relationship,” the “commonwealth of life,” and “whole earth economy”. Dr. Brown will then introduce five key questions: What is the economy for? How does it work? How big should it be? What is a fair distribution of its benefits and burdens? How should it be governed?

Following this presentation, Arthur Dahl, President of the International Environment Forum, will respond and discuss, with audience participation. In the evening, along with the presentation of the Association for Bahá’í Studies Awards, there will be an Evening with the Arts.

Saturday morning’s plenary will begin with a presentation by Soli Shahvar, director of the Ezri Centre at Haifa University and author of The Forgotten Schools: Baha’is and Modern Education in Iran 1899–1934 (I.B. Tauris International Library of Iranian Studies, 2009), followed by a panel on “Social Environment and Building Bahá’í Community Identity” with Payam Akhavan, Kit Bigelow, and Mark Perry.

Payam Akhavan will discuss, in light of recent developments, the emerging need for a new Iranian Bahá’í identity, not as victims but as an important social force poised to provide leadership for the reconstruction of Iran.

Kit Bigelow will explore the Bahá’í teachings on the important role language and speech play and their relevance for changing our current cultural, social, and human environments. Mark Perry’s presentation will discuss “Annulling Differences of Race: The American Bahá’í Experience and Beyond.” Dr. Perry will trace the processes of change in the Bahá’í community with regard to race and their implications both for the development of early Bahá’í identity and for ongoing processes of change.

The evening program will be devoted to the Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture presented by Otto Don Rogers.

Sunday morning’s plenary will include Member of the Continental Board of Counsellors Ann Boyles, and the Young Scholars Panel, moderated by Jian Khodadad.

Every evening after the plenary sessions there will be “After Hours Arts.”

Breakout sessions at the conference will include the following presentations:

• Naseem Alizadeh, “Building within Our Means”
• Nancy Joy Allchin, Rehema Clarken, and Dara Gay Shaw, “Online English Teacher Roundtable”
• Nathalie Auger, “Are Allusions to Global Warming Present in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh?”
• Kamilla Bahbahani, Marie Gervais, Peter Cromwell, and Lee Brown, “Bahá’ís Grapple with Racism”
• Samuel Benoit, “Faith in Environmentalism”
  Sandra J. Bean, “Extremes of Wealth and Poverty: What is the Impact of Well-Meant Economic Policies on Health and Well-being in Developing Countries”
• Maya Bohnhoff and Stephen Friberg, “Progressive Revelation as the Bahá’í Answer to New Atheism”
• Bret Breneman, “Gerard Manley Hopkins and the ‘Nature’ of the Environment”
• Rana Chang and Shahla Bolbolan, “Achieving Equality Through Chastity, Modesty, and Marriage: A New Radical Feminism?”
• Reed F. Curry, “Information and Knowledge: What is ‘Knowledge’ in the Information Age?”
• Carol Curtis and Tahirih Naylor, presenters, with co-facilitators Duncan Hanks and Peter Adriance, “Climate Ethics”
  Marjan Davoudi, “Raising a Child as the Creator of Light, not a Subject to the Dark Side of the Environment”
• David Kalim Diehl, “Getting Noticed and Making a Mark: The Challenges of Interdisciplinarity for Bahá’í Studies”
• Hamid Farabi and Ruhiyyih Farabi, “Environment and Its Effects on the Spiritual Life of Man”
• Fahdad Fani, “Providing an Environment for a Constructive Discussion between Science and Religion”
• Khosrow Farahbakhsh, “Organic Unity and the Second Law of Thermodynamics”
• Marie Gervais, “‘Eat Ye, O People’: The Role of Food and Hospitality in Bahá’í Intercultural Relations”
• William P. Gregg, “Bahá’í Gardens as Catalysts for Neighborhood Transformation”
• Brian Guequierre, “Thoughts on Water”
• Brett D. Hartman, “Restoring the Earth’s Resources: A Bahá’í Perspective: Where the Land Is Hurting, the People Are Hurting”
• Ian Harris, “Human Rights for the Entire Bahá’í Community: Using a Group-Oriented Minority Rights Framework to Advocate for the Bahá’í Community”
• Ingrid Hauck, “Creating Sacred Spaces: A Bahá’í Perspective on  and Environmentally Responsive Architecture/Construction Curriculum”
• Amrollah Hemmat, “Beyond Feminism: Tahirih’s Life and Writings”
• Darius Himes, “Figures of Speech and Thought: Implications of Bahá’u’- lláh’s Revelation for Contemporary Art and its Relation to the Community of the Greatest Name”
• Camille N. Khodadad, “Seeking a Work Environment Conducive to the Development of Human Potential”
• Mehrzad Khorsandi, “In Search of a Balanced, Generative, Emergent and Environmentally Responsive Architecture/Construction Curriculum”
• Ian Kluge, “The Writings, Philosophy, and the Human Environment”
• Samir Koirala, Dave Wellman, and Mitra Solomon, “Footprints of the Future: Visions of Human Civilization a Century from Now (and How to Get There)”
• Katharine Kripke, “The Old World Order, the New World Order, and Ending HIV/AIDS”
• Emily Lample, “Knowledge in Action: Consonance between Students’ Understandings of Social Problems and Their Participation in Community”
• Dale E. Lehman, “What Bahá’ís Think about Science and Religion”
• Susan Maneck, “Accusations against Bahá’ís within the Context of Islamic Heresiography”
• Courosh Mehanian, Ian Kluge, and Dinesh Singh (moderator, Robert Stockman), “Apologetics Program: Answering Irreligion”
• Robert Michell, “The Casting Down of Turquoise (Poems on Prophets, Saints, and Ordinary Angels)”
• Kavian Milani, Gloria Yazdani, and Hossein Ashchi (moderator, Susan Maneck) “Apologetics Program: Answering Muslim Critics”
• Maral Moradipour, Harsh Pancholi, Rolando Aguilera, and Nysa Pilbrow, “(Dis)Orienting Discourse in a Bahá’í Social Landscape”
• Pejman Mosleh, “Saving Sohrab: Tracing the Bahá’í Faith in Contemporary Persian Fiction”
• Elena Mustakova-Possardt, Patricia McGraw, and Michael Penn, “Creating Healthy Social Environments: Positive and Sustainable Communities”
• Lex Musta, “Transforming African- Descent Environments through Museums”
• Kayhan Nadji, “The Effect of Environment and Nature in Architecture”
• Fazel Naghdy, “The Bahá’í Community as a Learning Organization”
• Anne Gordon Perry, “Approaching the Centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1912 Visit to America: Preparation, Research, Commemorative Projects”
• Jennifer Phillips, Dan Enslow, and Lev Rickards, “The Wisdom of Crowds: Unexpected Realities of Consultation and Groups”
• Robert L. Rogers, “‘Green’ Starts With the Letter ‘S’”
• Naomi Rohrer, “Teaching Oral English Online Through SKYPE (VOIP)”
• Nousha Ram, “Principle-Based Leadership in Turbulent Times”
• Ariana Salvo, “Translating Values into Practices: Exploring a New Framework for Positive Change in Prince Edward Island’s Farming Community”
• Payam Sazegar, “Materialism and Health: A Bahá’í Perspective”
• Ben Schewel, “Scriptural Reasoning and the Bahá’í Faith”
• Pooya Shoghi, “‘Bahá’í Elitism’ and the Class-Based Dynamics of the ‘New Anti-Bahá’ísm’ in Iran”
• Dinesh Singh, “Concepts of Space, Time, and Causality in Relation to the Bahá’í Writings”
• Lawrence Staudt and Anne Gillette, “Assisting the World’s Transition to a Sustainable Energy Future”
• Deborah Clark Vance, “Naming Names: The Power to Control the Meaning of Media Symbols”
• James P. West and Marzieh West, “Environment and Economics: More than Meets the Eye”
• Debbie Wilke and Nancy McKeand, “On Track With Marco, a Computerized High Beginner English Program”
• Michael Winger-Bearskin, “Grab the Future: The Innovation Imperative”
• Mina Yazdani, “Scapegoating Bahá’í: The Clergy, the State, and Mob Violence in Twentieth-Century Iran.”

Baha’i Studies Conference, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 24-26 July 2009

The Religious Studies Special Interest Group of the Association of Baha’i Studies will be holding  conference on Baha’i Studies at the Baha’i Centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, starting 7.00 pm on 24 July and ending 1.00 pm 26 July.

For further information, please contact:
Stephen Lambden - slambden@ucmerced.edu
OR Moojan Momen - moojan@momen.org.uk

Programme:

Lil Abdo, The Baha’i Faith and Wicca - a comparison of Relevance in two emerging religions
Houshmand Badii, TBA
Geoff Nash, Christianity, The Baha’i Faith, and the Crisis of Religious Modernism: an inquiry
Erfan Sabeti, TBA
Moojan Momen, Shi`i History: the alternate view
Stephen Lambden,  The Names of God and theories of His Mightiest or Greatest Name (al-ism al-a`zam) with special reference to the Misbah (Luminary) of Taqi al-Din Kaf`ami (d. 900/1494-5) and to Babi-Baha’i theologies of His Eschatological Name.
Marion Finley, An Approach to Extremism in Islam.
Sen McGlinn, Friday, day of rest?
Zaid Lundberg, TBA

Opposing Viewpoints is a series of education resource texts designed for college or high school students to engender critical thinking and to prevent opposing viewpoints and multiple perspectives on current issues and affairs. A recent volume, Endangered Oceans has an article on human endangered oceans authored by the Baha’i International Community which is the agency which represents Baha’i Communities at the United Nations.  This is a timely reminder that the Baha’i Faith is largely a world-affirming religion, which is, among many objectives, concerned with the upbuilding of nations, human prosperity, social justice and the relief of suffering and poverty, in the context of sustainable global development. All of this is a reflection of the core consciousness of a Baha’i, the consciousness of the oneness of mankind.

In recent years the Baha’i International Community has  been active in the climate change activities of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Some of that activity is recorded below, including recent reports blogged by young Baha’is serving as interns at the Baha’i International Community offices in New York as they are engaged in work related to climate change, workshops and reports of activities at the CSD-15 and CSD-17 meetings, and the recent position paper on climate change: “Seizing the opportunity: Redefining the challenge of climate change“. The focus of these discussions papers and workshops has been on the social impact of climate change and moreso the ethical and moral dimensions of climate change.  In addition to the activities of the Baha’i International Community, climate change also features as key to the activities of the Baha’i inspired NGO International Environment Forum and the  Baha’i Social and Economic Development conference held annually in Florida. Dr Arthur Dahl has summarised these recent activities in a paper to the IARU International Scientific Congress on Climate Change Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions, Copenhagen, 10-12 March 2009  “The response to climate change from the Baha’i community” . This paper includes links to previous conference presentations and audio of talks presented. These climate change activities have been widely reported in the offical Baha’i news outlet for several years now:  Oxford conference on climate change stresses global collective action (2006), Climate change creates moral issues, says panel (2007) Ethics stressed at UN conference on climate change (2008) Arctic warming is one focus of conference (2007) Faith groups, including Baha’is of Germany, meet on environment and climate concerns (2002)

Baha’i International Community, Interns  recent blog reports

Baha’i Delegate Wows CSD with Climate Change Performance

Having lived and travelled in numerous countries around the world, Kiara Worth now lives in Durban, South Africa, where she uses theater to share knowledge with and empower local communities to act on the social and environmental issues facing them. After performing her one-woman play, “Theatre of Survival,” at a CSD side-event last week, Kiara was invited to deliver a second performance for NGOs. Kiara’s compelling play demonstrates how the challenges of climate change can be communicated through theatre. She takes on the character of an older African woman, a mad scientist and a bohemian dramatist who each present different approaches and solutions to climate change in South Africa.

Kiara comments: “The creative arts, and theatre in particular, have the most extraordinary way of bringing people together despite their differences and discussing things at a deeper level than development communication. We need to focus on issues of spirituality, issues of emotions, and belief systems. We need to look at the person as a complete and holistic individual–not just as a physical creature that is engaged in economics, if we truly want to transform the injustices of the world.”

I sat down with Kiara for a short interview in order to gain more insight into her creative and transformative work. The interview and a video of the 12-minute play can be viewed at Youtube: [Interview / Performance].

How Climate Change Undermines Human Rights 

I gave a short presentation (April 7^th)about climate change and human rights to the NGO/CSW Taskforce on Women and Climate Change. It was a rather informal gathering of representatives from a variety of NGOs who are working in the field of climate change in various capacities. During the course of my research on the topic of climate change and human rights many interesting facts arouse and I was truly amazed by the clear gendered dimensions of climate change. For instance, I was alarmed to learn that more women than men die during natural disasters because they are not warned, they cannot swim or because they are not allowed to leave the house alone. Following disasters, all too often services and facilities are inadequately equipped to meet the specific needs of women, or are all together unavailable to them. Research shows that heightened levels of physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women occur after natural disasters. Many sources also report that violence and vulnerability to violence is escalating as the affects of climate change force women and girls to take longer and more precarious journeys to collect water and wood.

I really enjoyed researching the topic and presenting my findings to the small group. The vice-president of Solar Cookers International (www.solarcookers.org) was present at the meeting and she is interested in learning more about the Barli Institute  in India and other Baha’i initiated environmental projects. The Baha’i International Community (BIC) has been actively involved in efforts relating to climate change and sustainable development for many years. In addition to participating in various NGO and UN events and discussions, the BIC recently released a statement on climate change: http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/Climate-Change-paper.pdf

As the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) draws closer and closer, there are many new and interesting assignments for the BIC interns.  In addition to participating in an online discussion, we are also researching case studies of community adaptation with a focus on the ethical and moral dimensions of climate change. Each BIC intern has a slightly different interest within the realm of environmental issues (my specific interests are environmental security, conflict and refugees and women and climate change). Discovering what each intern’s interests are and how their work at the BIC is shaping their understandings of these issues will be the focus of my next blog post.

Importance of Climate Ethics Animates Learning Center (Recent workshop at the side events at CSD-17)

Dr. Kaire Mbuende, Namibian Ambassador to the UN and Vice-Chair of the Commission opened a well attended Learning Centre session on the question of climate ethics and their application to the themes of this year’s Commission on Sustainable Development on Monday afternoon.

In his opening remarks, Peter Adriance, of the Bahá’í International Community, highlighted the 2007/8 UNDP Human Development Report, which affirmed that the mitigation of climate change “raises profound moral and ethical questions of our generation.” Faced with evidence that inaction will hurt millions of people, the report asks, “can we justify inaction?” and concludes that “no civilized communityadhering to even the most rudimentary ethical standards would answer that question in the affirmative.”

Adriance also highlighted the Bahá’í International Community’s initial contributions to the theme of climate ethics which affirmed that, the challenge of climate change is not only a technical one but a moral one, and that if we are to forge a coherent ethics for the resolution of the climate change crisis, it is “the principle of the oneness of humankind” that must become the “ruling principle of international life.”

Don Brown of the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State, a co-sponsor, and Marilyn Averill, an environmental attorney and doctoral student at the University of Colorado, were the main speakers for this session. They were also among the authors of the “White Paper on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change”—a seminal piece which offers a preliminary analysis of eight fundamental ethical issues related to climate change.

Averill explained that ethics are standards or rules of right conduct, which comprise a moral philosophy. Ethics involve questions of fairness, justice, duties and responsibilities. Ethical standards, then, help to determine what is right and what is wrong and when responsibility should attach to human actions that cause harm. To address the question: “Why do we need climate ethics?” Averill noted that ethical dimensions are attached to decisions regarding the allocation of emissions caps; decisions about payment for injuries and adaptation measures; and when actions should be taken. Agreement on ethical standards can help to seek out answers to such questions.

Averill also noted that the term, “common but differentiated,” not only applied to “responsibilities” held by countries, but to their contributions, impacts, and capacities as well. “We all contribute to the problem, but at different levels; we will all be affected, but some are more vulnerable than others; we have different levels of responsibility, again some more than others; and we have different coping capabilities.” This raises numerous ethical questions: “Who or what should be protected? Who are most vulnerable? What rights do they have to protection? Who has duties to protect? Who gets to decide?”

Climate-related ethical issues include matters of international equity (to what degree are people in one country responsible for the welfare of those in another country?); inter-generational equity (to what extent are those alive today responsible for the welfare of future populations?); inter-species responsibilities (what responsibility do humans have to other species?); and stewardship (what duties do humans have to protect nature?) Don Brown brought the focus from the general to the more specific, stressing the
importance of clearly identifying concrete ethical issues embedded in economic and legal arguments. Using an array of maps and images, he highlighted the strong connection between climate change and the Commission themes, outlining ethical issues related to agriculture, land, rural development, drought and desertification.

For the second half of the session, participants worked in small groups to examine six country-specific case studies in order to identify the relevant ethical issues, determine ethically sound actions, and identify responsibilities for diverse actors. Following the exercise, each group presented a summary of the insights gained from the analysis.. While the ethical issues were often complex and difficult, many participants noted that such considerations were essential in finding sustainable solutions.

In the final segment, Don Brown highlighted measures that had been undertaken to increase awareness of the ethical dimensions of climate change and engaged the group in a discussion of strategies to expand those efforts. Several ideas emerged, including the use of the arts and the development of educational curricula to
inspire ethical action.

The video proceedings of these workshops are available on YouTube.

Seizing the Opportunity: Redefining the challenge of climate change (Baha’i International Community Whitepaper on Climate Change)

Once the domain of scientists and negotiators, the discourse on climate change1 has become a core part of informed debates about the future direction of the affairs of humankind. Authoritative assessments that global warming is “unequivocal” and directly linked to human activity2; that it constitutes the “widest-ranging market failure ever seen” 3; and that it represents the “defining human development challenge of the 21st century”4 – have seized the attention of governments and peoples alike.5 Yet the search for solutions to climate change has revealed the limits of traditional technological and policy approaches and has raised difficult questions about justice, equity, responsibility and obligation. As communities and policy-makers worldwide have wrestled with these questions, they have brought us all to the threshold of a tremendous opportunity. It is the opportunity to take the next step in the transition from a state-centered mode of interacting on the world stage to one rooted in the unity which connects us as the inhabitants of one biosphere, the citizens of one world and the members of one human civilization. The nature of this step, its significance and some of the means for its accomplishment are the focus of the Bahá’í International Community’s contribution to forging a path out of the climate change challenge.

Decades of research, advocacy and policy-making have provided a strong scientific basis for action on climate change, have raised public awareness and have provided norms and principles to guide decision-making. Building on this foundation, the governments of the world have embarked on a major negotiating effort aimed at charting the course of cooperative action on climate change.6 The negotiations focus on a shared vision for long-term cooperative action as well as a long-term global goal for emission reductions, which is to be met through mitigation of climate change, adaptation to its impacts and the mobilization of technological and financial resources. The process seeks to pave the way for an agreed outcome at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009.7 As negotiations proceed to set the rules and establish the mechanisms that will determine how governments assist vulnerable countries and approach this global challenge, they will test the resolve of the international community to address comprehensively and justly the shared threat of climate change.

Yet, in the face of the destructive impacts of climate change – exacerbated by the extremes of wealth and poverty – a need for new approaches centered on the principles of justice and equity is apparent. A dynamic and bourgeoning discourse on the ethical8 dimensions of climate change has brought to the fore the role of ethical inquiry in overcoming some of the most difficult substantive and process-related challenges.9 The fundamental questions it seeks to address include: Who is responsible for the consequences of climate change?; Who should pay for the damages?; How should target levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere be determined?; What procedures will ensure fair representation in decision-making?; and, if nations have a responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, how do those responsibilities devolve onto the various units of government, organizations, individuals and non-state actors?10 The challenge before the world community, then, is not only a technical one but a moral one, which calls for the transformation of thoughts and behaviors so as to allow our economic and social structures to extend the benefits of development to all people.

To contribute to this important discourse, we assert that the principle of the oneness of humankind must become the ruling principle of international life. This principle does not seek to undermine national autonomy or suppress cultural or intellectual diversity. Rather, it makes it possible to view the climate change challenge through a new lens – one that perceives humanity as a unified whole, not unlike the cells of the human body, infinitely differentiated in form and function yet united in a common purpose which exceeds that of its component parts. This principle constitutes more than a call for cooperation; it seeks to remold anachronistic and unjust patterns of human interaction in a manner that reflects the relationships that bind us as members of one human race. The earnest consideration of the place of this principle in international relations should not be seen as an abstract exercise; it is precisely this level of analysis that must be undertaken and this level of commitment secured in order to forge a coherent ethic for the resolution of the climate change crisis. In order to progress beyond a world community driven by a largely economic and utilitarian calculus, to one of shared responsibility for the prosperity of all nations, such a principle must take root in the conscience of the individual. In this way, we come to recognize the broader human agenda – which subsumes those of climate change, poverty eradication, gender equality, development, and the like – and seeks to use both human and natural resources in a way that facilitates the progress and well-being of all people.
A response to climate change will require profound changes at the level of the individual, the community and the nations of the world. These will no doubt be informed by continuing progress in the arenas of science, technology, economics and policy. To complement the processes of change already underway, we consider the concrete ways in which the principle of the oneness of humanity could be operationalized at the above-mentioned levels and could serve to build momentum, support and intellectual capacity for more integrated and just approaches to the solution of the challenge before us.

The Individual Level: Engaging children and youth

A fundamental component of resolving the climate change challenge will be the cultivation of values, attitudes and skills that give rise to just and sustainable patterns of human interaction with the environment. The engagement of children and youth will be particularly important as this population will be called upon to exercise leadership and address the dramatic and complex challenges of climate change in the decades to come. It is at a young age that new mindsets and habits can be most effectively cultivated. The important role of education and public awareness has been highlighted in the UNFCCC11 as well as the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), which promotes the integration of “principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning.”12
In practical terms, this means that girls and boys must be afforded access to the same curricula, with priority given to the girl child who will one day assume the role of educating future generations. The curriculum itself must seek to develop in children the capacity to think in terms of systems, processes and relationships rather than in terms of isolated disciplines. Indeed, the problem of climate change has powerfully demonstrated the need for integrated and systemic approaches. Students must also be given the concrete skills to translate their awareness into action. This can be accomplished, in part, through incorporating an element of public service into curricula, thereby helping students to develop the ability to initiate projects, to inspire action, to engage in collective decision-making and to cultivate their sense of dignity and self-worth. Overall, the curriculum should strive to integrate theoretical and practical considerations as well as to link notions of individual progress with service to the broader community.13

The Community Level: Advancing gender equality and encouraging dialogue between science and religion

On the community rests the challenge of providing the setting in which decision-making can occur peacefully and individual capabilities can be channeled through collective action. One of the most pervasive social challenges besetting communities around the world is the marginalization of girls and women – a condition further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Around the world, women are largely responsible for securing food, water and energy for cooking and heating. Scarcity of resources arising from climate change intensifies the woman’s burden and leaves less time to earn an income, attend school or care for the family. Moreover, natural disasters exact a heavier toll on women given their lack of access to information and resources, and, in some cases, their inability to swim, drive or even leave the house alone. It would be a mistake, however, to cast women as the victims or simply as under-resourced members of society; they represent perhaps the greatest source of untapped potential in the global effort to overcome the challenges of climate change. Their responsibilities in families, in communities, as farmers and as stewards of natural resources make them uniquely positioned to develop strategies for adapting to changing environmental conditions. Women’s distinct knowledge and needs complement those of men, and must be duly considered in all arenas of community decision-making. It is in relationship and consultation with one another that the most effective strategies for mitigation and adaptation can be devised.

In light of this reality, the United Nations must give more attention to the gender dimensions of climate change. Neither the principal legal nor scientific framework guiding climate change negotiations – the UNFCCC and the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – makes reference to gender. To begin to remedy this situation, we call on the United Nations and member states to include a gender dimension in their response to climate change and in their ongoing and future negotiations of climate change agreements. As a starting point, a gender component could be included in national reports to the UNFCCC; the presence of gender experts on UNFCCC delegations would further strengthen the gender analysis. Efforts to give due attention to this critical dimension of climate change, however, cannot be limited to ad hoc measures. Instead, they must be reinforced by efforts to include and raise up the voices of women in all arenas of human endeavor so as to create the social conditions in which the most fruitful collaboration and innovation can take place.14

Given their tremendous capacity to mobilize public opinion and their extensive reach in the most remote communities around the world, religious communities and their leaders bear an inescapable and weighty role in the climate change arena. By many measures, increasing numbers of religious communities are consistently lending their voice and resources to efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change – they are educating their constituencies, providing a scriptural basis for ethical action and leading or participating in efforts at the national and international levels.15 This role, however, must now unfold in the context of an emerging conversation – a rapprochement – between the discourses of science and religion. The time has come for the entrenched dichotomy between these two systems of knowledge to be earnestly reexamined.
Both are needed to mobilize and direct human energies to the resolution of the problem at hand: methods of science facilitate a more objective and systematic approach to problem solving while religion concerns itself with those moral inclinations that motivate action for the common good. In an age yearning for justice and equality, religious doctrines will need to be carefully examined. Those that encourage social exclusion, passivity or inequality between the sexes will fail to engage the peoples of the world while qualities of justice, compassion, trustworthiness, humility and generosity – common to all religious traditions – will be even more urgently needed to forge the patterns of progressive community life.

The National and International Levels: Building foundations for cooperative Action

At a basic level, governments bear the responsibility of adhering to stated commitments and abiding by the rule of law. This level of commitment is essential for the cultivation of trust and relationship-building among nations, particularly as governments embark on the negotiation of a new global climate change agreement. Attention to the integrity of the negotiating process itself represents another important trust-building measure. Negotiations need to ensure that all stakeholders – both industrialized and developing economies representing mitigation and adaptation concerns respectively – are included.

While it is acknowledged that any effective climate change policy needs to be rooted in a global perspective, even this enlargement of the sphere of responsibility has not sufficiently moved governments to act. This perspective must now evolve to reflect the essential connectedness and common fate of humanity that for too long has struggled against a worldview that emphasized sovereignty, ascendancy and competition. Efforts to reconceptualize sovereignty, from an absolute right to a responsibility, signal that a shift in consciousness towards greater degrees of global solidarity is already underway.16 To be sure, the solution to climate change exceeds the capacities and resources of any one nation and requires the full cooperation of all nations, each according to their means.

Governments now need to forge an agreement commensurate with the problem at hand and one which meets the needs of societies most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The agreement needs to put in place the requisite institutional frameworks17 as well as establish international mechanisms capable of mobilizing financial resources and accelerating innovation needed to transition to a low carbon society. The more economically developed nations need to display leadership consistent with their historic responsibility and economic capacity and commit to significant emission reductions. Developing nations, in a manner consistent with their capacities and development aspirations, must contribute through efforts to transition to cleaner development pathways. This is the time for leaders from all spheres of human endeavor to exercise their influence to identify solutions, which make it possible for mankind to address this challenge and, in so doing, chart a sustainable course to global prosperity.

Much has been said about the need for cooperation to solve a climate challenge that no nation or community can solve alone. The principle of the oneness of humankind presented in this statement seeks to move beyond utilitarian notions of cooperation to anchor the aspirations of individuals, communities and nations to those of the progress of humanity. In practical terms, it affirms that individual and national interests are best served in tandem with the progress of the whole. As children, women, men, religious and scientific communities as well as governments and international institutions converge on this reality, we will do more than achieve a collective response to the climate change crisis. We will usher in a new paradigm by means of which we can understand our purpose and responsibilities in an interconnected world; a new standard by which to evaluate human progress; and a mode of governance faithful to the ties that bind us as members of one human race.

End Notes
1 Climate change, as defined by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) refers to “a change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. It refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or resulting from human activity.” (IPCC, 2007. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. An Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [Allali, A. Et al. (eds.)] Cambridge University Press: New York.) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as a “change of climate that is attributed directly orindirectly to human activity and that alters the composition of the global atmosphere.” (United Nations. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. UN Doc. FCCC/INFORMAL/84 GE.05- 62220 (E) 200705. 1992).
2 Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. See note 1.
3 Stern, Nicholas. 2006. The Economics of Climate Change. The Stern Review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York.
4 UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), 2007. The Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting Climate Change, Human Solidarity in a Divided World. Palgrave Macmillan: New York. The report states that the consequences of a 2oC or greater increase in global temperature will include, among others: coastal flooding displacing 180-230 million people; water shortages affecting 1.8 billion people; and will put 220-400 million people at risk of malaria.
5 2007 may be remembered as the year in which the issue of climate change became firmly established on the global agenda. That year: the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; the UN Security Council held its first debate on the impacts of climate change on peace and security; the UN Secretary-General convened a high-level meeting with heads of state and top officials to build momentum for the December 2007 UN climate change conference, which brought together representatives from over 150 member states to chart the course for a new negotiating process to tackle climate change.
6 At the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference, participating nations adopted decisions collectively referred to as the “Bali Road Map,” which established a comprehensive negotiating process toachieve the full implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Road Map also addresses negotiations on further commitments under the Kyoto Protocol after 2012 and sets a deadline for both processes at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Conference of the Parties, 13th Session. Report of the Conference of the Parties. UN Doc. FCCC/CP/2007/6/ and Add.1. 14 March 2008.)
7 The conference is organized by the UNFCCC (see note 6) and will be held in Copenhagen, from November 30 - December 11, 2009. The goals of the conference will be to conclude negotiations of a global climate agreement and to set targets for emission reductions for industrialized countries beyond 2012 (when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end). The Kyoto Protocol is an international binding agreement, linked to the UNFCCC, that sets targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the period 2008-2012. (United Nations. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 1998.)
8 Ethics refers to the field of philosophical inquiry that examines moral principles, standards of conduct, notions of right and wrong as well as the motives and consequences of human conduct.
9 The UNFCCC (see note 1) began to operationalize the ethical approach to climate change by putting forward principles to guide States’ Parties’ actions to achieve the objective of the Convention. These principles included: attention to the specific needs of developing countries; adoption of precautionary measures and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
10 An analysis of the ethical dimensions of climate change is provided in: Brown, D. et al. 2006. The White Paper on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change. The Collaborative Program on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change, Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State University: State College, Pennsylvania.
11 Article 6 of the UNFCCC (see note 1) addresses “Education, Training and Public Awareness” and states that States Parties shall commit to the “the development and implementation of educational and public awareness programmes on climate change and its effects; public access to information on climate change and its effects …”
12 In December 2002, the UN General Assembly resolved to launch the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the lead agency. The Decade effort seeks to encourage changes in behavior that will create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for present and future generations. Education for sustainable development involves learning to: respect, value and preserve the achievements of the past; appreciate the wonders and the peoples of the Earth; live in a world where all people have sufficient food for a healthy and productive life; assess, care for and restore the state of our Planet; create and enjoy a better, safer, more just world; and be caring citizens who exercise their rights and responsibilities locally, nationally and globally. (UN General Assembly, 59th Session. United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. UN Doc. A/Res/59/237. 24 February 2005.)
13 The Bahá’í International Community has strongly promoted the theme of world citizenship as an ethical foundation for sustainable development, with the understanding that only a profound sense of responsibility for the well-being of humanity would mobilize civil society.

The Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change (Report of events at CSD-15)

For one of the first side events of CSD-15, 90 people, some sitting and some standing, packed a room to hear six panellists speak on the ethical dimensions of climate change. Despite media attention, not much has focused on the ethical questions and principles underlying the issue. Tahirih Naylor, the Bahá’í International Community’s UN representative who chaired the event, expressed the Bahá’ís’ interest in “supporting a continuing discourse that will include scientific, policy, and religious perspectives on the ethical dimensions of climate change.”

H.E. Mr. Enele Sopoaga, Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the UN, opened the session, noting that several important climate change reports had come out recently. The message of those reports, he said, was that the future will be catastrophic for all countries if the international community fails to do something urgently. For islands such as his as well as other atoll states: Maldives, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati, scenarios for the future include “total extinction.” Inaction, he said, is contrary to the precautionary principle, agreed to 15 years ago in Rio. Yet action on climate change has been stalled by lack of global leadership, the serious deficit of public awareness, and total absence of moral responsibility. He cited a moral obligation to help Tuvalu, small island states, and LDCs, to rise above the blaming game, political and economic considerations and make climate change a priority comparable to Security Council action on AIDS.

Mr. Om Pradhan, UN Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) noted that the science about climate change was settled; what is lacking is political will. The IPCC reports made it clear who bears responsibility and who will be most affected. The developed countries need to take responsibility with mitigation and assist with national adaptation programs by providing resources, technology, and capacity building for developed countries.

Don Brown, Project Coordinator of the Collaborate Program on the Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change, Rock Ethics Institute, sought to convince the participants that the ethical dimensions of climate change are much more than meets the eye, as developed further in that paper.(See: http://rockethics.psu.edu/climate/edcc-whitepaper.pdf.) He talked about not discussing ethics in an abstract way, but applying ethics and ethical analysis to the policy questions we now face. Looking at climate change from an ethical perspective, he said, will transform the nature of negotiations about responsibility, legal norms, and both soft and hard law. Bringing this reality will help inspire understanding, commitment and action.

Dr. Arthur Dahl, a marine biologist and former Deputy Assistant Director of UNEP, stated that “We are not just talking about climate and energy, we’re talking about the future of civilization.” The climate crisis represents the greatest market failure in the history of the planet. We have to go to the level of values and ethics, including the examining of values underlying the economic system Religion has a role in becoming a source of unity, to acknowledge our common humanity and build a sense of global solidarity. There is a need for education for sustainable development and a more altruistic economics. We need to actively look for sources of unity, with the support of NGOs, that allow us to rise above our narrow interests and develop the trust and ethical foundations to work together, build agreements, and meet the challenges ahead.

Tony Barnston of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Colombia University, noted that it takes humans years to adjust to ‘inconvenient discoveries’, citing cigarette smoking and prolonged exposure to the sun as two examples. A more urgent change is needed and a far shorter lag time when it comes to stemming greenhouse gas emissions. We need to move quickly to the action step, as the implications of not acting are severe and wide reaching.

Rabbi Lawrence Troster, Fellowship Program Director of GreenFaith stressed that the various religions agree on the moral crisis that faces us. He said that humans have the power to disrupt God’s natural order by violating boundaries set for behaviour. As in the Nazi era, this is an important moment in history. He closed by calling on people to seek out the ethical implications in climate issues, recognizing it as a moral imperative to understand the “meaning of this hour.” On a hopeful note, while many religions speak of great catastrophes, they also speak of a time humanity will be more in balance with the natural environment.

There was a lively discussion after the presentation. Many questions centered on economics, and the panellists clarified that the ethics underlying cost-benefit analysis and market mechanisms need to be examined and questioned. Brown concluded the panellist responses, saying that at the upcoming summit in Bali, countries can no longer grandfather in their behavior. Everything must be morally and ethically justified – we need to emerge from Bali with a morally-based ethical consensus on climate change.

The session concluded with a deeper understanding and renewed commitment to raise the ethical dimensions of climate change in our discussions at the CSD and beyond.

The Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project achieves a major milestone today, April 9, 2009, with the launching of a website featuring a gradually expanding selection of articles for the study of the Bahá’í Faith:. The articles–covering a range of topics in the categories of history, biography, teachings and laws, administration and institutions–bring together information from a wide variety of sources and in many cases reflect original research. Every attempt has been made, within the limits of available resources, to present the articles in an attractive and user-friendly format and to make it possible to update and improve them over time.

Excitement over this achievement is tempered, however, by the circumstances in which it takes place. Since the inception of the Encyclopedia Project in 1984, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States has provided unfailing encouragement and financial support. In late 2008, however, cost considerations resulting from the world economic crisis led the National Assembly to seek ways to reorganize the project in order to maintain momentum in its online publishing while reducing expenditures. The Encyclopedia Editorial Board was released from service, and the Encyclopedia Project’s two-person staff was immediately halved. After a period of several months spent on preparations for launching the website, the coordinating editor’s tenure as a full-time staff member also ended. The project is currently being restructured on the basis of volunteer service and earmarked contributions to support part-time editorial work and website maintenance and development, as resources permit.

The members of the Encyclopedia Editorial Board, many of whom have served for all or much of the life of the Project, deserve special thanks. They are: Larry Bucknell, Betty J. Fisher, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Todd Lawson, Heshmat Moayyad, Gayle Morrison, Sholeh Quinn, Martha L. Schweitz, Robert H. Stockman, and Will C. van den Hoonaard. The Project’s administrative assistant for over ten years, Sharon Bakula, also merits gratitude for her hard work and steadfastness. The Encyclopedia Project owes a great debt of gratitude to former general editors John Walbridge and Moojan Momen and sociology editor Will C. van den Hoonaard and their assistants; to former staff members in Evanston; to all contributors; and to the well-wishers who have lent (and continue to lend) material and moral support to this endeavor.

The Encyclopedia Project welcomes inquiries, comments, and suggestions, which may be sent to: encyclopedia@usbnc.org. Gayle Morrison, Coordinating Editor, Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project.

The Irfan Colloquia continues its program of conferences in Europe and North America. In May the 88th Colloquium will be held at Bosch Baha’i school, Santa Cruz, California, May 28-31, 2009. The program includes the following presentations: Muin Afnani, A Review of the History and Content of Anti-Bahá’i Publications; Ghasem Bayat, Resurection - Hell & Heaven: Fire and Heaven (Nar va Jannat) in the Babi and Bahá’í Scriptures; Arsalan Geula. The Evolution of Man: Unity of Mankind; Keyvan Geula, Psychological and Spiritual Impact of Story Telling; Farshid Kazemi Celestial Fire: Bahá’u'llah as a Messianic Appearance of the Divine Fire in Zoroastrian Scripture, Mysteries of Alast: The Realm of Subtle Entities (’Alam-i dharr) and the Primordial Covenant in the Babi-Bahá’i Writings; Wolfgang Klebel, The Path of God: Declaration towards a Global Ethic and the Bahá’í Faith; Ian Kluge, Neo-Platonism and the Bahá’i Writings; Stephen Lambden, Gateways to the Qayyum al-asma’ of the Bab: Some introductory notes based on an examination of its Surah Titles. Soul, Spirit and Mind from Antiquity to Bahá’í Perspective: A intertextual trajectory from Biblical times and Hellenistic antiquity to the Islamic and Babi-Bahá’i psychology. Ramin Neshati, Metaphysics Reconsidered: A Dialog between `Abdu’l-Bahá and August Forel; Sholeh Quinn, The Historical Context of Bahá’u'llah’s Lawh-i Qina (Part I) Mahyad Rahnamaie, Mathematical Model to Investigate Non-Material Realities; Farhad Sabetan, Distributive Justice: A Bahá’í Perspective; Ben Schewel, Beginning a Conversation: Scriptural Reasoning and the Bahá’í Faith; Laleh Shahriaree, Tahirih’s Insight into the Inner Nature of the Cause of Bahá’i Faith; James Thomas, Elements of Immortality: A Nexus of Proofs by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Some Answered Question; Mina Yazdani, An Overview of the Bahá’i Writings on Iran;

Meanwhile at the Center for Baha’i Studies in Acuto, Italy June 28 through July 1, the following presentations are scheduled: Amin Egea, A review of some aspects of the Tablet of Wisdom (Lawh-i-Hikmat); Armin Eschraghi, Some thoughts on Bahá’u’llah’s last Major work: Epistle to Aqa Najafi; Farshid Kazemi, Land of Zaphron: A descriptive Study and Early Ismailite Philosophy and the Bábi/Bahá’í Religions; Nadia Khazraee, Reality Concealed Behind the Veil; Stephen Lambden; Second “Manuchehr Salmanpour Memorial Lecture”: Names and Attributes of God, Soul, Spirit and Mind from Antiquity to Bahá’í Perspective; Moojan Momen, The Báb’s Commentary on the Hadith of Kumail: What is Reality?; Steven Phelps, Beyond Athens and Jerusalem: Re-visioning the science-religion conflict; Sholeh Quinn, An introductory review of Bahá’u’llah’s Lawh-i-Qina’; Mahyad Rahnamaie, A Mathematical Model to Investigate Non-Material Realities; Moshe Sharon. What is behind the words? The earliest writings of Bahá’u'llah; Vargha Taefi, Consensus Decision-Making: Bahá’i Perspective; Iskander Tinto, Gems of Divine Mysteries and its relationship with the Seven Valleys and the Kitáb-i-Iqán.; Ramin Vasli, Faith and Reason in “Some Answered Questions” and The new concept of God in “Some Answered Questions”; Farhan Yazdani, Beyond the Concept of Evil: A Methodology for Multidisciplinary and Multicultural Ethical Decision-Making. Details concernong the Persian language conference being held 3-9 July are available

Further conferences are planned in Tambach, Germany and Davis, Michigan later in 2009. The proceedings of these conferences are published in the series: Lights of Irfan (English) and Safiniy-i-Irfan (Persian).

The International Environment Forum, a Baha’i inspired NGO concerned with the environment and sustainable development is combining forces with the Association for Baha’i Studies North America in respective of each organisation’s annual conferences. The joint conference theme is “Environments”. A single registration makes both conferences available to participants. IEF participants can also participate through e-conferencing facilities. The 13th Annual conference of the International Envisonment Forum will be held in Washington D.C, August 13-16, 2009. The stated theme of the conference is encapsulated in this paragraph.
“The teachings of the Bahá’í Faith shed light on the dialogue between the human soul and its environment. “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved.” Shoghi Effendi wrote, “Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.” The nature, quality, and condition of the environments we inhabit therefore have profound implications for human well-being. In this context, how can science and religion, as complementary systems of knowledge and practice, be applied more effectively to the preservation, refinement, and improvement of the myriad environments – natural, cultural, and built – within which we live and grow?”. Details concerning the 33rd Annual conference of the Association for Baha’i Studies is also available.

The Rabbani Trust is a Baha’i inspired NGO dedicated to disbursing funds for “charitable, religious, literary and educational purposes, to promote the spiritual and social well being of the entire human race” and among its activities sponsors the annual Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic Development.  This year the conference theme is “Baha’i-inspired Development and the Growth Process: Partners in Transforming Society“and the conference is scheduled for December 19-22, 2009 in Orlando Florida.

The Islamic revolution which installed Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini in power attains its 30 year anniversary this month. For much of that time the Iranian Baha’i community along with other ethnic and social minorities in that republic have suffered official opprobation, quasi judicial executions, systematic social exclusion and shunning, destruction of cemeteries and holy places,  disenfranchisement from educational institutions, campaigns of propaganda and disinformation in what amounts to cultural genocide. This situation in Iran has been well documented through the efforts of the Baha’is themselves through their engagement with the United Nations system and a host of human rights agencies and activists as well as academics interested in documenting and researching the plight of the Bahai’is in Iran. The Baha’i community published several years ago a document and online resource called The Baha’i Question: Cultural Cleansing in Iran .  This has been updated in  late 2008 and is  an excellent review of the range of deprivations and insecurities inflicted upon the Baha’i community of Iran since 1979.  This document can be dowloaded well as read online.

One of the agencies which has been endeavouring to document the unfolding events in Iran is the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center in New Haven Connecticut. This organisation has produced a new report in addition to two substantial prior reports. This legal report complements two earlier IHRDC publications documenting the Islamic Republic’s state-sponsored campaign of persecution against its Bahá’ís citizens: A Faith Denied The Persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran (2006) and Community Under Siege: The Ordeal of the Bahá’ís of Shiraz . The two prior reports meticulously present facts surrounding the targeting, unlawful arrest, prolonged detention, torture and summary execution of nearly 207 Bahá’ís since 1979. The first report provides an overview of the abuses of the Bahá’ís in Iran both historically and since the founding of the Islamic Republic. The second report is an in-depth case study of one particularly notorious instance of persecution. The instant companion for the earlier reports provides a brief legal analysis of the abuses documented therein, and argues that the acts committed against Iran’s Bahá’ís conflict with the principles of common humanity under international criminal law and amount to crimes against humanity. Individual Iranian officials may be subject to liability, now or in the future, for crimes against humanity in various courts.  The new report,  Crimes Against Humanity: The Islamic Republic’s Attacks on the Bahá’ís (2008) is available online from the IHRDC.

The Human Rights Watch organisation recently issued its World Report 2009. This almanac of the status of human rights in nation-states across the globe was issued on January 14, 2009. The Iran section of the report includes reference to the Baha’i situation. The United Nations Secretary General, reported on the general human rights situation in Iran to the General Assembly, Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (October 2008), which brought to attention, once again, the long-standing issues affecting the Baha’is of Iran.

The National Dragomanov Pedagogic University, Institute of Philosophical Education and Science, Student Association of the Institute of Philosophical Education and Science, Youth Association of Researchers of Religion with the assistance of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Ukraine Invites researchers, teachers, graduate students, and creative students to participate in an International Academic Conference on modern religions: “Contemporary religions: The Baha’i Faith”.2-3 March 2009 Sections: -History, beliefs and practices of the Baha’i Faith -Theoretical questions of the Baha’i Studies During the conference a round table discussion will be held on the topic:  Question about classification of the Baha’i Faith. Working languages:  Ukrainian, Russian, English To participate in the conference please complete the following application, and submit by email together with your academic paper, to:   m_a_r@ukr.net анкету участника и статью.

Document requirement Papers should be submitted in Microsoft Word format From 20-30,000 symbols (approx 10-15 pages) including footnotes, and literature cited Times New Roman, 14 point size, line spacing 1.5 References shown by square brackets, showing sequential number of the referenced literature, followed by a comma and the page number of the reference, such as: [3, p.16]; Literature cited organized alphabetically by author and number sequentially, located at the end of the text. Note: The organizing committee reserves the right to reject any publication if it does not conform to the format or content requirements. A compilation of the conference proceedings is planned for publication. All questions concerning the conference can be addressed to: abulafiy@i.ua +38050-617-61-39 +38093-69233-42 Vitaliy Hromets – Vice-President of YARR, Vice-Director of IPSE.

Baharieh Rouhani Ma’ani is developing a name as a writer to watch. Here is the publisher’s description: Women of the Middle East in the 19th century are generally absent from the pages of history. Even their names are not recorded. They have no voice. They are invisible. The women closest to the twin Manifestations, the Báb and Bahá’u'lláh, are especially enigmatic. What were they like as children? What was it like to live in the family of the Manifestation of God? What did they think about the new Revelations from God? How did they respond to the suffering and persecution that came upon them? So little is known. Baharieh Ma‘ani decided to rectify this. Her task was formidable. There is little published about these women and documents are rare. Over two and half decades she worked to gather all the known information about the women whose lives were intertwined with those of the Manifestations of God for this age ־ mothers, wives, sisters, daughters. Looking beyond published sources, she was given permission by the Universal House of Justice to consult original documents in the Bahá’í International Archives and to make provisional translations of more than 50 Tablets, letters, memoirs and papers not previously published in English, many never before published in any language. The result is an engaging and readable book that provides a unique and intriguing insight into the lives and circumstances of the women who played such important yet unseen roles in shaping the early history of the Bábí and Bahá’í religions. Mrs Ma‘ani has made the invisible visible. Expected in Feb 2009, Hardcover, 448 pages, price yet to be announced. The book Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees is published by George Ronald

Meanwhile from Canada comes a full length biography, titled Take My Love to the Friends The Story of Laura R. Davis, according to the publisher, Chestnut Park Press,  this biography describes her part in establishing the Bahá’í Faith in Toronto and in Canada.  Some signal early events are told for the first time: Martha Root laying the foundation of the Faith in Toronto in 1919, Jenáb-i-Fádil, a Persian scholar, and Canadian artist Marion Jack making consolidating visits in the 1920s and, in 1939, Americans Mabel and Howard Colby Ives setting the keystone in the edifice of the Faith in Toronto. Events of national significance are reflected in Laura’s participation in the teaching committees of the 1940s, her election to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada in 1948, and her involvement with young participants of the counterculture of the late 1960s. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in December, 1954 renewed and strengthened Laura’s dedication to the Cause of Bahá’u'lláh with Shoghi Effendi’s parting words, “take my love to the friends”, becoming the raison d’être of the rest of her life. Laura intuitively understood Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching that “deeds, not words,” should be our “adorning”. She hosted weekly firesides in her home for forty years and made hundreds of travelling teaching trips in Canada and abroad. Blind to social status or colour, she enriched countless lives through her kindness and love. And, decades before service in outside organizations was a common practice among Bahá’ís, Laura volunteered in social, cultural, and humanitarian organizations. All these dimensions, as well as her humour, sense of adventure and perseverance, make Laura a role model for present and future generations of Canadians. The book is to be published in March 2009.

The Baha’i Publishing Trust based in Paris has recently announced three publications to be prepared and made available by August of 2011.  The project is being guided by Jan Jasion an experienced author and editor of several important studies of Baha’i history and biography most recently his excellent study of Marion Jack. The first volume is titled “The Talks of Abdu’l-Baha in France and Switzerland” [ISBN 2-912155-25-8] . This will include all the talks in the popular Paris Talks, reedited plus other published talks given in France and Switzerland in 1911 and 1913 plus previously unpublished translations of His talks and conversations newly discovered in the French and American Bahá’í archives. The talks will be presented in a chronological order beginning with His love song to Juliet Thompson in Thonon-les-Bains. Some of these talks were originally published in Persian, a few in Arabic and at least one in Esperanto. The aim of this historically important venture is to present to Bahá’ís and to non-Bahá’ís the wonder that was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a readable, informative and well-documented format.  The second projected volume “On the Banks of the Seine: The History of Abdu’l-Baha in France and Switzerland 1911 and 1913” [ISBN2-912155-26-6]. This book constitutes a day-by-day account of His 121-day stay in four visits to France and two to Switzerland. People, places, reminiscences, first hand accounts, anecdotes, including stories He told of the early days of His Father’s Faith, richly woven on a Parisian backdrop. The book will be generously illustrated with historical and contemporary photographs and maps of places He visited and people He met. The final volume will be of general interest to many Baha’i scholars. Titled “They all Witnessed His Triumph: A Biographical Guide to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Western Travels” [ISBN 2-912155-32-0] is a biographical dictionary of the more than 1300 personages encountered and documented from the published records of His travels. Each entry, where possible, will include full name, dates, occupation, education, writings, where and when they met the Master and if Bahá’ís, and their service to the Faith. They range from notables such as Theodore Roosevelt and the Ranee of Sarawak to Wilbur the butler and the governess Madame Bricka. Notes will indicate in which publication they were recorded. Also included will be those people whom He mentioned in the talks He gave in the West. The aim of this historically important venture is to present to Bahá’ís and to non-Bahá’ís the wonder that was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a readable, informative and well-documented format. All three volumes are planned to be published concurrently in French and English.

Women’s and minority rights in Iran must not be overlooked while the world focuses on the country’s nuclear issue. That’s the conclusion of an important new pamphlet from the Foreign Policy Centre being launched on November 25 to coincide with UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In the pamphlet entitled, ‘A Revolution Without Rights: Women, Kurds and Baha’is Searching for Equality in Iran’, authors Geoffrey Cameron and Tahirih Danesh examine the religious, legal and social obstacles to equality faced by women, Baha’is and Kurds in Iran, comparing the experiences of the three groups. They evaluate the Iranian government’s compliance with its own constitution and look at how Iran’s treatment of women and minorities measures up to the international agreements it has signed. The pamphlet lays out practical steps that British and European policy-makers can take to support the equal treatment of women and minorities in Iran. These include: Diplomatic pressure to ensure human rights remain on the agenda Access for the UN to monitor the situation on the ground EU trade incentives such as the EU-Iran Trade and Cooperation Agreement linked to human rights improvements Technical and political support for Iran’s WTO membership Option of travel bans and financial restrictions for individual regime members responsible for human rights abuses

Foreign Office Minister Lord Mark Malloch Brown, who describes the report as an ‘important contribution to the debate, and an important part of ensuring that improving Iran’s human rights record stays firmly on the agenda worldwide’ said: “Iran consistently fails to meet the international commitments that it is signed up to. It ignores its own laws and terms of its own constitution such as arbitrary arrest and the denial of due process. And it is increasingly – and worryingly – using vague, national security-related charges such as ‘acting against state security’ and ‘propaganda against the system’ against individuals who are exercising their right to peaceful protest.” “The international community must take responsibility to lobby the Iranian government and support those within Iran who are bravely fighting for their human rights.” Foreign Policy Director Stephen Twigg said: ‘This report challenges Iran to fulfil its obligations to its own citizens under international law and its constitution. We must support the tireless work of Iranian human rights activists working to bring change in their own country and make sure their struggle is not overlooked as the international community focuses on the nuclear issue.’

In 2004 Necati Alkan completed his PH.D. thesis at the Ruhr Universität Bochum“The Babi and Baha’i Religions in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, 1844-1928″ . This new publication from the academic publisher Isis Press  represents the revised print version of this thesis. The thesis is notable for its original use of Ottoman Archive materials.  Contents: Illustrations Acknowledgements A Note on the Transliteration Foreword Introduction 1. Reforms in the Late Ottoman Empire Westernising Reforms and the Role of the ulema at the Turn of the 19th Century Sultan Abdülmecid The Tanzimat Period 2. Early Babis in the Ottoman Empire The Rule of Necib Pasha in Iraq and the Relationship with Iran The Rise of the Babi Movement Combined Sunni-Shi‘i Opposition: the Trial of Mulla ‘Ali Bastami The Bab’s Epistle to Sultan Abdülmecid Sultan Abdülmecid and Tahira . 3. The Babis, Iran and the Ottoman Reform Elite The Exile of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad and Iran’s Intervention Forced Residence of Baha’u’llah in Istanbul Baha’u’llah in Edirne: the Deterioration of Babi-Ottoman Relations Final Exile in ‘Akka: Baha’u’llah’s Letters to Âli Pasha and Fuad Pasha .4. The Baha’is and the ‘Fathers’ of Ottoman Constitutionalism Young Ottomans and the Baha’is Midhat Pasha and ‘Abdu’l-Baha 5. Iranian Reformers, Young Turks and the ‘Babis’ in 19th Century Istanbul Sayyid Jamalu’d-Din ‘al-Afghani’ Al-Afghani, the Babis and the Baha’is The ‘Babi Leader’ al-Afghani and the Young Turks Mirza Malkum Khan, the Babis and the Baha’is The Reformist Baha’i Qajar Prince Shaykhu’r-Ra’is . . 6. ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the Ottomans, 1890s – 1910s Ottoman Intellectuals on ‘Abdu’l-Baha ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Abdülhamid II and the Young Turks ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the Young Turks after 1908 7. From Empire to Republic: State and Religion in the Era of Kemalist reform The Young Turks and Kemalist Westernism: the Role of Abdullah Cevdet Abdullah Cevdet, Islam and the Baha’i Religion Atatürk’s Secularist Reforms and the Baha’i Response Baha’is under the Scrutiny of the Kemalist State Atatürk and the Baha’i Religion Conclusions Appendices Illustration Bibliography Index. A number of scholarly articles deriving from the original research have been published in journals but it is satisfying to see this work finally published.

Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau (July 14, 1816 — October 13, 1882) was a French diplomat, novelist historian and theorist of racial inequality who was one of the earliest Europeans to chronicle the events of Babi history within a few decades of their happening. Gobineau in turn influenced and inspired historians, orientalists and philologists in Europe including Edward Granvile Browne and ALM Nicolas. For a time he was the Charges d’Affaires in Teheran (Oct 1856-Jan 1858) and later Minister (January 1862-October 1863) which led to the two works Three Years in Asia and Religions and Philosophies of Central Asia respectively. Geoffrey Nash and his translator colleague Daniel o’Donoghue have performed a marvellous service by making Gobineau’s studies of religious movements more accessible in their new work Comte de Gobineau and Orientalism: Selected eastern writings in the Routledge series Culture and Civilization in the Middle East.

Though known to specialists, Comte de Gobineau’s vital if idiosyncratic contribution to Orientalism has only been accessible to the English reader through secondary sources. Especially important for its portrayal of an esoteric Sufi sect like the Ahl-i Haqq, and its vivid narrative of the Babi episode in Persia, Gobineau’s work impacted significantly on European intelligentsia, including Ernest Renan, Matthew Arnold, Lord Curzon, and the Orientalist Edward Granville Browne. Daniel O’Donoghue’s brilliant translation now makes available sizeable extracts from Gobineau’s two most important writings on the East: Three Years in Asia and Religions and Philosophies of Central Asia. Geoffrey Nash’s comprehensive introduction and notes contextualise Gobineau’s work in the light of contemporary scholarship, as well as assessing its impact on nineteenth century Orientalists and modern Iranians, and its relevance to debates around Islam and modernity that are still alive today. Series: Culture and Civilization in the Middle East . This book provides an introduction to de Gobineau’s writings on the Middle East and extensive translations of his most important work. Table of Contents Introductory Essay Part 1: Three Years in Asia 1. The Nation 2. Religion 3. The Sufis 4. The Condition of Individuals 5. Characters, Social Relations 6. Probable Results of Relations Between Europe and Asia Part 2: Religions and Philosophies of Central Asia 1. Religious and Moral Character of Asiatics 2. Persian Islamism 3. Faith of the Arabs, Origin and development of Shi’ism 4. Beginnings of Babism 5. Development of Babism 6. Battles and Successes of The Babis in Mazandaran 7. Fall of the Castle of Shaykh Tabarsi, Trouble in Zanjan 8. Insurrection in Zanjan, Captivity and Death of the Bab 9. Attempt on the King’s Life Notes Bibliography . Routledge. Hardback. ISBN-13: 978-0415440196

Sixth North American Bahá’í Conference on Law: Exploring the Intersections of Religion & Governance: Past, Present, & Future October 9-11, 2008 American University, Washington College of Law 4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Room 603, Washington, DC.  Under this theme, we will be bringing together a diverse group of speakers and participants, including both Bahá’ís and many who will be new to the Faith. Besides a keynote address by Professor Abdullahi An-Na’im, a pre-eminent scholar of Islamic law and secularism, we will also hear from Arash Abizadeh, Suheil Bushrui, Roshan Danesh, Bill Davis, John Grayzel, Sovaida Ma’ani-Ewing, and Layli Miller-Muro, among numerous other presenters. There will also, of course, be much opportunity for networking and otherwise getting to know one another. For anyone interested in law, governance, democracy, development, and –of course– religion, the conference will be more than well worth attending! his gathering seeks to address the question of what contributions the world’s religious traditions might make to governance – broadly defined as the traditions, institutions, and processes by which authority is exercised in a given society. What can faith and religion teach us about “good governance” and its features? What do the various faith traditions or world views emphasize as the essential elements of good governance? Since the mid-1990s, international organizations and donor agencies have been advocating “good governance” as a condition for development aid. The criteria for such governance have variously included accountability, responsiveness, transparency, public participation, and the rule of law. Many have highlighted the roots of these concepts in Western democratic culture. This conference hopes to examine the religious dimensions of these concepts as well. The conference will thus provide a forum for an open and frank discussion of the relationship of religion and governance and the complex legacy of their interaction. The North American Bahá’í Conferences on Law seek to promote new ideas for addressing global problems, with the hope of promoting unity and global justice, while maintaining and respecting a diversity of views, cultures, and beliefs. This goal is inspired by the view that all humankind is one, and all religions and faith traditions are ultimately united, as diverse reflections of one truth. Prior conferences have been held at Columbia Law School, the University of California - Berkeley Law School, and the University of Toronto School of Law. To register: please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration. For full agenda, list of speakers and other information, please visit www.wcl.american.edu/secle/fall/2008/081010.cfm or contact: Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education, American University, Washington College of Law Phone: 202.274.4075 - Fax: 202.274.4079 - secle[at]wcl.american.edu

The Association for Bahá’í Studies, North America, is pleased to announce that its 33rd annual conference will be held from the 13th to the 16th of August, 2009, in Washington DC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The theme of the conference will be Environments. The teachings of the Bahá’í Faith shed light on the dialectical relationship between the human soul and its environment. As Shoghi Effendi explained, “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”[1] The nature, quality, and condition of the environments we inhabit therefore have profound implications for human well-being. In this context, how can science and religion, as complementary systems of knowledge and practice, be applied more effectively to the preservation, refinement, and improvement of the myriad environments – natural, cultural, and built – within which we live and grow?
You are invited to explore this theme at the 33rd annual conference of the North American Association for Bahá’í Studies. New and experienced presenters and participants, from all backgrounds and disciplines, are welcome. Possible topics for presentation might include, but are not limited to: the spiritual dimensions of environmental stewardship; the impact of diverse environments on human development and well-being; understanding nature as an expression of the Divine; empowering children and youth to cope with and transform the media environment they are growing up within; beautifying and enriching our environments through the arts; understanding the environment of the study circle; refining the social environment within our communities; mobilizing communities to care for their natural environments; probing the nexus between environment and development; and applying spiritual and scientific principles to the design of our built environment. A call for presentations will follow later this Fall. [1] Cited in Conservation of the Earth’s Resources: A Compilation of Extracts from the Bahá’í Writings, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1990.

The UK publisher George Ronald have announced two new publications which will be of interest to Bahai scholars and researchers. The first is a study of the Badi (”New”) calendar, Time and the Baha’i Era, a calendar which originated in the Writings of the Bab. This thought-provoking book examines the historical background and symbolic significance of the Badí‘ calendar, as well as practical issues to be resolved before it can assume its rightful place as a world calendar. The Badí‘ calendar is derived directly from the revealed writings of both the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and is a component part of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, whose teachings must be understood in their entirety as medicine for the diseases of our age. Its inherent symbolism, however, has until now remained largely unexplored, so that the systematic investigation presented by this wide-ranging, impressive study is no doubt the first of its kind. One of the main themes of the book is that the Badí‘ calendar is creative in the sense that, through its symbolic association with different aspects of the Bahá’í Faith, it can serve to represent and illustrate many of the central tenets of the Faith. Symbol and object converge in the Badí‘ calendar in a manner which is unique in the entire revelation. The full effect the Badí‘ calendar will have on society is hardly predictable at present or in the near future. Just as the actual unfolding of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh will reveal to future generations aspects of practical and spiritual life which we cannot even imagine today, so too will the world-wide application of the Badí‘ calendar exert an influence on the physical and spiritual rhythm of life in a fashion and to a degree which we cannot yet appreciate. The meaning of the Badí‘ calendar will first become fully evident to those privileged to live in the pulse of this future World Order. The second volume is the companion to Udo Schaefers study of Baha’i Ethics released earlier in 2008. Available in Feb 2009, Schaefer’s second volume. Baha’i Ethics in Light of Scripture: Volume 2:  Virtues and Divine Commandments “attempts to analyse the underlying structures and detect the interior architecture of the Bahá’í moral system and is a step towards developing a Bahá’í moral theology. Finely argued and meticulously researched and annotated, Virtues and Divine Commandments, the second of two volumes, considers the structures of the moral order and its concrete values – the virtues, divine commandments and principles of social ethics, including justice, from a Bahá’í perspective. Includes an appendix on art and morality and correspondence with the Universal House of Justice on issues considered in the book.

Leading academic publishers EJ Brill have announced the forthcoming publication, The Messiah of Shiraz: Studies in Early and Middle Babism, in the series Iran Studies (edited Ali Gheissari (University of San Diego, CA), Roy P. Mottahedeh (Harvard University), Yann Richard (Sorbonne Nouvelle)) The 19th century saw an enormous shift in the authority structure of Iranian and Iraqi Twelver Shiʿism, with the victory of a theological school (Usulism) that stressed the power of the clergy. This is well known. What is less well known is that there was a parallel development of authority in the Shaykhi school and its offshoot, the Babi sect. Here, especially in later forms of Babism, the Shiʿite claim to charismatic authority reached its limits in hyperbolic attestations of divinity. The present text is in two parts: a study of how Shaykhism bifurcated into a form close to orthodoxy next to the highly unorthodox Babi movement. Part two examines how Babism changed after the death in 1850 of its founder, the Bab. Author Denis M. MacEoin, Ph.D. (1979) in Persian Studies, University of Cambridge has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Newcastle University. His most recent work has been on radical Islam in the United Kingdom. His previous books include The Sources for Early Babi Doctrine and History. This volume joins the recently announced volume of translation and annotation by Ahang Rabbani from the same publisher The Genesis of the Babi-Bahá’í Faiths in Shiraz and Fars by Mírzá Hábíbu’lláh Afnán to be published as volume 122 in the series Numen Book Series ; Texts and Sources in the History of Religions (Editorial board: Steven Engler (Mount Royal College, Calgary, Canada), Richard King (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, U.S.A.), Kocku von Stuckrad (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Gerard Wiegers (Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands). Also reccomended is the excellent study published by Brill in 2006, Margaret Warburg’s Citizens of the World A History and Sociology of the Baha’is from a Globalisation Perspective.

Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905) was one of the key thinkers and reformers of modern Islam who has influenced both liberal and fundamentalist Muslims today. ‘Abdul-Baha (1844–1921) was the son of Baha ‘ullah (1817-1892), the founder of the Baha’i Faith; a new religion which began as a messianic movement in Shii Islam, before it departed from Islam.Oliver Scharbrodt offers an innovative and radically new perspective on the lives of these two major religious reformers in nineteenth-century Middle East by placing both figures into unfamiliar terrain. While one would classify ‘Abdul-Baha, leader of a messianic movement which claims to depart from Islam, as an exponent of heresy in Islam, ‘Abduh is perceived as an orthodox Sunni reformer.

This book, however, argues against the assumption that both represent two extremely opposite expressions of Islamic religiosity. It shows that both were influenced by similar intellectual and religious traditions of Islam and that both participated in the same discussions on the reform of Islam in the nineteenth century. Islam and the Baha’i Faith provides new insights into the Islamic back¬ground of the Baha’i Faith and into ‘Abduh’s own association with so-called heretical movements in Islam. This book is a valuable resource to anyone interested in the Baha’i Faith and its Islamic roots and in the intellectual history of modern Islam.

The book, Islam and the Baha’i Faith: A comparative study of Muhummad Abduh and ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas is published by Routledge in the Series: Culture and Civilization in the Middle East (General Editor: Ian Netton). Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Formative Years: Mysticism and Millenarianism 3. Into Modernity 4. Succession and Renewal 5. Charisma Routinized 6. Creating Orthodoxy: The View of Posterity Epilogue Bibliography. Oliver Scharbrodt is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Western Kentucky University, USA. His research interests lie in the study of modern Islam and of Iranian Shiism and Sufism.

Peter Terry has finally made available after many years of toil his translation of Louis Alphonse Daniel Nicolas’ biography in French of the life of the Bab, Seyyed Ali Mohammed dit le Bab (Paris, 1905). Not merely a translation, the book is heavily annotated and footnoted  to expand or correct with later research Nicola’s pioneering work.

ALM Nicolas was a translator at the French Legation in Tihran and became acquainted with the life of the Bab and his writings and over the course of several decades published a number of studies and translations of the Bab and the Babi movement. Nicolas was so captivated by the eloquence of the Bab that he describes himself as having become  “bit by bit profoundly and uniquely a Babi”. A Prophet in Modern Times is published on demand by lulu.com and is available from the usual onlne stores.

This volume represents Volume 1 of a series of planned translations of Nicolas’s Babi works and it is hoped that this version of Nicolas’ biography can be expanded to include those chapters that refer to the Bab’s colleagues, the Letters of the Living, some of which has been published recently elsewhere, as well as useful additions such as an index and an aggregated bibliography of the many cited sources in the footnotes.

 Nicolas personal library was acquired in part by the International Baha’i Library and constitutes one of its special collections. The French edition of the book translated here was reprinted a few years ago in the Elibron Classics series. It is also available in a digitised format from the H-Bahai Digital Library.

Millennialism and Violence: The Attempted Assassination of Nasir al-Din Shah of Iran by the Babis in 1852. Moojan Momen ‌. The association of millennialist movements with violence has been a subject of much study following recent high-profile events. This article examines a case of millennialism and violence that occurred just over 150 years ago. It tracks the events leading to the attempted assassination of Nasir al-Din Shah of Iran in 1852 by a small group of followers of the religion of the Bab, a religious leader who claimed to fulfill the prophecies of Shi’i Islam about the coming of the Imam Mahdi. The factors leading to the violence are analyzed and compared with other cases of millennialism and violence.

The main factors that stand out in this case include: a pre-existing religious milieu that expected a violent, millennial event and engendered a radically dualist worldview, with the shah’s government as the embodiment of an evil destined to be defeated and removed; a severe persecution of the group resulting in some followers’ desire for revenge and a dramatic violent act that would bring divine intervention and ultimate victory; government removal of moderate leadership, leaving only radical extremist leaders; and the presence among the Tehran group of Babis, which carried out the attempted assassination, of a charismatic leader whom these Babis believed had access to a source of divine power that could make the plan achievable, when a more rational analysis would have demonstrated the opposite. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, August 2008, Vol. 12, No. 1, Pages 57–82.

The more or less annual compilation of papers from the regular sequence of Irfan Colloquia held in North America nad Europe during the year is eagerly awaited because it often contains original research or preliminary explorations into new areas of scholalrly inquiry. Volume 8 of Lights of Irfan: Papers presented at the Irfan Colloquia and Seminars is available from the Baha’i Distribution Service in the United States (although not currently in the online catalogue).

This volume, subtitled Studies in the Principal Baha’i Beliefs, contains the following papers: Amin Egea (trans Francisco Diaz), Chronicles of a Birth: Early References to the Babi and Baha’i Religions in Spain (1873-1895), 1-19; Youli Ioannesyan, Baron Rosen’s Archive Collection of Babi and Baha’i Materials, 11-34; Farhang Jaharpour, Mysticism East and West, 35-52; Wolfgang Klebel, The Word is the Master Key for the Whole World: The Baha’i Revelation and the “Teaching and the Spirit of the Cause” in Dialogical and Personal Thinking, 53-124; Ian Kluge, Buddhism and the Baha’i Writings: An Ontological Rapprochement, 125-178; Grant Martin,Why the Baha’i Faith Is Not Pluralist,179-201; Jack McLean, The Art of Rhetoric in the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, 203-256; Moojan Momen, Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablet on the Functioning of the Universal House of Justice: A Provisional Translation and Commentary, 257-297; Ali Nakhjavani, The Baha’i Covenant, 299-308; Mahyad Zaerpoor Rahnamaie, Minimalism from a Baha’i Perspective, 309-322; Julio Savi & Faezeh Mardani Mazzoli, Lawh-i-Maryam (Tablet to Maryam) Revealed by Baha’u'llah: A Provisional Translation and Commentary, 323-362; James Thomas, The Emergence of World Civilization: An Exposition on Excerpts from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, 363-386; Elucidations: Research Dept, Baha’i World Centre, Memoranda on  Designation of Mirza Yahya in the Writings of the Bab, Status of Letters Written on Behalf of the Guardian, Daniel’s Prophecies, 387-414.

Iranian Studies is one of the leading periodicals in the field of Iranology or Iranian Studies. Published by the International Society for Iranian Studies, the journal as well as the biennial conferences of the Society are well regarded (The forthcoming seventh Biennial conference has several papers relevant to Baha’i studies). Most years the Iranian Studies journal will publish a significant paper on Babi or Baha’i Studies (see under Publication Roundup). Well known author Moojan Momen has published in the June 2008 issue of Iranian Studies a new piece of research on the Iranian Baha’i community and the Constitutional Revolution. Edward Granville Browne, a noted early authority on the Iranian Babi-Baha’i community, was himself intimately involved in the British aspect of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution, and early on also noted some aspects of the Baha’i relationship in his study of the Constitutional Revolution. Moojan Momen adds to these insights. See also the recent paper by Kavian Milani, Baha’i Discourses on the Constitutional Revolution in The Baha’is of Iran Socio-Historical Studies

Accounts of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran have tended to ignore the role of the Baha’is in that event. This paper looks at the case of Sari, capital of Mazandaran province, where the Baha’is of the city played a major part in initiating the move towards Constitutionalism and in educating people about the reforms envisaged and about the modern world. They also led the way in carrying out some of these reforms. In particular, the Baha’is established the first modern schools in the town. In this process, they were opposed by the Muslim ‘ulama in the town, who equated Constitutionalism and the Baha’i Faith, and persecuted the Baha’is of the town relentlessly for both reasons, leading eventually to the killing of five of the leading Baha’is of Sari in 1913. A brief account is also given of the attitude of the Baha’i leader ‘Abdu’l-Baha (1844-1921) towards the Constitutional Movement and the role of the Baha’is in it. This paper follows the events of the seven years 1906-13 in Sari and describes seven swings of the pendulum of power in the town alternating between the Baha’is and Constitutionalists on the one hand and the ‘ulama and the royalist forces supporting Muhammad ‘Ali Shah on the other. It points out that the neglect of the Baha’i aspect of these events by historians has led to a failure to account adequately for some of the events of these years. Iranian Studies, Volume 41, Issue 3 June 2008 , pages 343 - 363

December 10th 2008 sees the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Drafted in the aftermath of the Second World War, the UDHR represents one of the great achievements of the human mind at a time when leading thinkers and states people were coming to understand the interdependent nature of the global society that was beginning to emerge.Sadly, since 1948 the vision of the drafters of the UDHR - that we are each responsible for the well-being of all and that governments have a duty to enable their citizens to flourish in safety - has been eroded by a growing tendency on the part of some states and governments, motivated by morally dubious ideologies, to pursue their selfish interests at the expense of the health of the whole body of humankind. Furthermore, the human rights discourse at the United Nations, amongst governments and in civil society, has become mired in moral relativism and a growing secularism. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom has decided to mark this important anniversary by making a distinctive Bahá’í contribution to reenergizing the discourse and rearticulating it in positive ways that are underpinned by Bahá’í principles and moral values. We are planning a range of activities intended to attract the interest and engagement of a wide range of interested individuals and relevant organizations. These will include parliamentary seminars, seminars and other meetings in universities and colleges, sixth form conferences, presentations and discussions in schools and city academies. It is our hope that this programmed will culminate in a major public conference on or near Human Rights Day - 10th December 2008 -at which we hope a number of high profile speakers will address the issue.

The UK Bahá’í contribution to refocusing the human rights discourse will also be reflected in an edited collection of essays on relevant themes to be published by Juxta Publishing.

Call for Papers:

The National Spiritual Assembly invites all those who are interested in writing an essay for this volume to submit a proposal consisting of a suggested title and an abstract of no more than 500 words. Essays should address themselves to one or other of the following broad themes: the  history and origins of human rights; the history of the UDHR - especially the input of religious communities to its drafting; . human rights now; . the role of religion in human rights; .rights and responsibilities - revisiting duties whilst maintaining rights; . forging universality - from universality of suffering to universality of rights (an opportunity to explore Baha’i idea of oneness of humanity and its relevance in the rights discourse); looking forward to the world envisaged by Article 28: ‘Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully
realized.’.

Please send your proposal to oea@bahai.org.uk by 1 June 2008. Please note that submission of a proposal is no guarantee of publication.

Rob Weinberg
Secretary for External Affairs.