Citadel Of Faith Part 14

Seventeenth, the quadrupling of the number of local spiritual a.s.semblies and the trebling of the number of localities in the aforementioned countries.

Eighteenth, the translation of Baha'i literature into ten languages in Europe, (Basque, Estonian, Flemish, Lapp, Maltese, Piedmontese, Romani, Romansch, Yiddish and Ziryen; ten in America: Aguaruna, Arawak, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Iroquois, Lengua, Mataco, Maya, Mexican and Yahgan.

Nineteenth, the conversion to the Faith of members of the leading Indian tribes.

Twentieth, the conversion to the Faith of representatives of the Basque and Gypsy races.

Twenty-first, the establishment of summer schools in each of the Scandinavian and Benelux countries, as well as those of the Iberian Peninsula.

Twenty-second, the proclamation of the Faith through the press and radio throughout the United States of America.

Twenty-third, the establishment of a Baha'i Publishing Trust in Wilmette, Illinois.

Twenty-fourth, the formation of an Asian teaching committee designed to stimulate and coordinate the teaching activities initiated by the Plan.

May this community-the spiritual descendants of the dawn-breakers of the Heroic Age of the Baha'i Faith, the chief repository of the immortal Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, the foremost executors of the Mandate issued by the Center of Baha'u'llah's Covenant, the champion-builders of a divinely conceived Administrative Order, the standard-bearers of the all-conquering army of the Lord of Hosts, the torchbearers of a future divinely inspired world civilization-arise, in the course of the momentous decade separating the Great from the Most Great Jubilee to secure, as befits its rank, the lion's share in the prosecution of a global crusade designed to diffuse the light of G.o.d's revelation over the surface of the entire planet.

[April 29, 1953]

INTENDING PIONEERS URGED TO SCATTER

Strongly urge intending pioneers to scatter as widely as possible, settle even territories, islands not specifically a.s.signed to United States.

Prompt opening of virgin territories is highly meritorious, extremely urgent, vital prerequisite to insure triumphant conclusion of opening phase of Global Crusade, prerogative of chief executors of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Plan. May enrolled pioneers arise and confirm primacy of American Baha'i Community playing preponderating role in initial stage of spiritual conquest of unopened territories and islands of the planet.

[May 13, 1953]

A TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN BAHa'i HISTORY

My soul is thrilled and my heart is filled with grat.i.tude as I contemplate-looking back upon six decades of eventful American Baha'i history-the chain of magnificent achievements which, from the dawn of the Faith of Baha'u'llah in the West until the present day, have signalized the birth, marked the rise and distinguished the unfoldment of the glorious mission of the American Baha'i Community. Of all Baha'i communities in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, with the sole exception of its venerable sister community in Baha'u'llah's native land, it alone may well claim to have released forces, and set in motion events, which stand unparalleled in the annals of the Faith; while in the course of the last fifty years, comprising the concluding years of the Heroic and the opening epochs of the Formative Age of the Baha'i Dispensation, it can confidently boast of a record of stewardship which, for its scope, effectiveness and splendor, is unmatched by that of any other community in the entire Baha'i world.

The first to awaken to the call of the New Day in the western world; the first to spontaneously arise to befittingly erect the Mother Temple of the West; the first to grasp the implications, evolve the pattern and lay the basis of the structure of the Baha'i Administrative Order in the entire Baha'i world; the first to openly and systematically proclaim the fundamental principles of the Faith, to adopt effectual measures for its defense, to invite the attention of royalty to its teachings, to devise an adequate machinery for the translation, the publication and the dissemination of its literature and to provide the means for the creation of its subsidiary inst.i.tutions; the first to champion the cause of the oppressed and to generously contribute to the alleviation of the sufferings of the needy and persecuted among the followers of Baha'u'llah; the first to inaugurate collective enterprises for the propagation of His Cause; the first to a.s.sert its independence in the West; the first to lay an una.s.sailable foundation for the erection of auxiliary inst.i.tutions designed to multiply its financial resources; and, more recently, the first to achieve, as befits its primacy, the initial task devolving upon it in pursuance of the newly launched World Spiritual Crusade, this community has abundantly merited, by the quality of its deeds and the magnitude of its exploits, the distinctive t.i.tles of the cradle of the World Order of Baha'u'llah, of the vanguard of His world-conquering host, of the standard-bearers of the oneness of mankind, of the chief trustees of the Plan devised by the Center of the Covenant and of the torch-bearers of an as yet unborn world civilization.

RECENT SERVICES DESERVING MENTION

The services rendered by this same community in recent years, in its capacity as the chief executors of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, in the course of the second stage of the initial epoch in its evolution, are of such importance and significance as to deserve particular mention at this time. In the North American continent, throughout the republics of Latin America, in the ten goal countries of Europe, on the sh.o.r.es and in the heart of the African continent, the members of this community have, in conformity with the provisions of the Second Seven Year Plan, performed feats of such n.o.ble and enduring heroism as to enhance immensely their prestige, demonstrate unmistakably the caliber of their faith and qualify them to a.s.sume a preponderating share in the prosecution of the Ten Year Plan whose operations are to extend over the entire surface of the globe.

In the multiplication and consolidation of Baha'i administrative inst.i.tutions and their auxiliary agencies throughout Central America, the Antilles and every South American republic-a task supplementing the initial enterprise undertaken, in pursuance of the first Seven Year Plan, in connection with the introduction of the Faith into the republics of Latin America; in the even more rapid development of nascent inst.i.tutions of the Faith in Scandinavia, in the Benelux countries, in Switzerland, in the Italian and Iberian Peninsulas; in the laying of the administrative basis of the World Order of Baha'u'llah in the capital and in some of the major cities of each of the ten European sovereign states included within the scope of the Plan; in the convocation of a series of historic teaching conferences in the north and in the heart of the European continent-heralding the convocation of the recently held, epoch-making Intercontinental Teaching Conferences; in the translation, the publication and dissemination of Baha'i literature in various European languages; in the still more dramatic evolution of the Faith in the African continent, culminating in the convocation of the first Intercontinental Teaching Conference of the Holy Year in the heart of Africa; in the tremendous sacrifices spontaneously and repeatedly made to broaden and reinforce the foundations of the Faith in the North American continent, to sustain the campaigns undertaken in Latin America, Europe and Africa, and to meet the many demands of the Baha'i Temple, rapidly nearing completion in Wilmette; in the successive emergence of three national spiritual a.s.semblies in the Western Hemisphere-an outstanding contribution to the evolution and consolidation of the structure of the world Administrative Order of the Faith; in the completion of the interior ornamentation of the first Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar of the West, the provision of its accessories and the initiation of the landscaping of its grounds; in the support extended to the development of the inst.i.tutions of the World Center of the Faith; in the role played by its representatives, whether as Hands of the Cause or members of the International Baha'i Council; in the financial aid unhesitatingly given to hasten the construction, and insure the completion, of the superstructure of the Bab's Sepulcher on Mt.

Carmel-above all, in the share its national elected representatives have a.s.sumed in providing the means for the convocation of the second Intercontinental Teaching Conference of the Holy Year; in commemorating worthily the dedication to public worship of the Mother Temple of the West, on the occasion of its Jubilee; in befittingly inaugurating the launching of the World Spiritual Crusade, and in celebrating the climax of the Holy Year marking the centenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah's Mission-in all these the American Baha'i Community has fully deserved the praise and grat.i.tude of posterity, has merited the applause of the Concourse on High and earned a full measure of the divine blessings and of the celestial sustenance of which it will stand in such great need in the course of the prosecution of still mightier and more glorious enterprises in the days to come.

ADDED RESPONSIBILITIES IN PROPAGATING THE DIVINE PLAN

The stage is now set, and the hour propitious, for a deployment of forces, and for the revelation of the indomitable spirit animating this community, on a scale and to a degree unprecedented in the entire course of American Baha'i history. To the Antilles and the seventeen republics of Central and of South America-the scene of the initial exploits of a community inaugurating the opening phase of its world-girding mission-to the ten sovereign states of Europe which, at a subsequent stage in the unfoldment of that mission, the members of this community enthusiastically and determinedly arose to open up and conquer; to the African territories which, in addition to their allocated task under the Second Seven Year Plan, they spontaneously endeavored to win to the all-conquering Cause of Baha'u'llah-to these numerous islands and archipelagos, bordering the American, the European and African continents; dependencies extensive, well-nigh inaccessible, and remote from the base of their operations throughout the Asiatic continent; lastly, the South Pacific area, the home of the one remaining race not as yet adequately represented in the Baha'i world community, occupying spiritually so strategic a position owing to its proximity to the Baha'i communities already firmly entrenched in South America, in the Indian subcontinent and in Australasia, at once challenging the resources of no less than eight national spiritual a.s.semblies, and the theater destined to witness the n.o.blest and the most resounding victories which the chosen executors of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan have been called upon to win in the service of the Cause of G.o.d-all these have now, in accordance with the requirements of an irresistibly unfolding Plan, been added, completing thereby the full circle of the world-wide obligations devolving upon a community invested with spiritual primacy by the Author of the immortal Tablets const.i.tuting the Charter of the Master Plan of the appointed Center of Baha'u'llah's Covenant.

"The moment this Divine Message," He Who penned these Tablets and conferred this primacy has most significantly affirmed, "is propagated through the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific, this community will find itself securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion." Then, and only then, will, as He Himself has so remarkably prophesied, "the whole earth" "resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness."

Now, indeed, is the time, after the lapse of two score years; following the triumphant conclusion of two successive historic Plans, marking the opening stages of the first epoch in the unfoldment of that same Master Plan; on the morrow of the brilliant celebrations climaxing the world-wide festivities of a memorable Holy Year; and while a triumphant community, in the first flush of enthusiasm, has just garnered the first fruits of its campaigns in four continents of the globe and is laden with its freshly won trophies, for this community to bestir itself, and, a.s.suming its rightful preponderating share in the conduct of a newly launched World Spiritual Crusade, to demonstrate, through a supreme and sustained effort embracing the entire surface of the planet, its ability to safeguard that primacy, to enrich immeasurably the record of its stewardship and to bring to a majestic conclusion the opening epoch in the evolution of a Plan destined to reveal the full measure of its potentialities, not only throughout the successive epochs of the Formative Age of the Faith, but in the course of the vast reaches of time stretching into the Golden, the last Age of the Baha'i Dispensation.

A LASTING INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND NATION

This decade-long global Crusade must mark a veritable turning point in American Baha'i history. It must prove itself to be, as it develops, a force so pervasive and revolutionary in its character as to leave a lasting imprint not only on the destinies of the American Baha'i Community but on the fortunes of the American nation as well. It must, even as a baptismal fire, so purge its members from self as to enable them to scale heights never as yet attained. It must, in its initial stages, witness a dispersal, combined with a consecration, reminiscent of the dawn of the Heroic Age in Baha'u'llah's native land. It must, as it gathers momentum, awaken the select and gather the spiritually hungry amongst the peoples of the world, as well as create an awareness of the Faith not only among the political leaders of present-day society but also among the thoughtful, the erudite in other spheres of human activity. It must, as it approaches its climax, carry the torch of the Faith to regions so remote, so backward, so inhospitable that neither the light of Christianity or Islam has, after the revolution of centuries, as yet penetrated. It must, as it approaches its conclusion, pave the way for the laying, on an una.s.sailable foundation, of the structural basis of an Administrative Order whose fabric must, in the course of successive crusades, be laboriously erected throughout the entire globe and which must a.s.semble beneath its sheltering shadow peoples of every race, tongue, creed, color and nation.

Seconded by the neighboring fully fledged Canadian Baha'i Community flourishing beyond the northern frontier of its homeland; supported by the newly emerged Latin American communities established in the Antilles and in each of the central and southern republics of the Western Hemisphere; ably aided by its sister community vigorously functioning in the heart of a far-flung empire, and destined to lend its inestimable a.s.sistance in the spiritual conquest of the numerous and widely scattered dependencies of the British Crown; reinforced by the oldest and youngest national Baha'i communities on the European mainland which are to play a prominent part in the eastern and southern regions, and across the frontiers of Europe, along the sh.o.r.es and in the islands of the Mediterranean; a.s.sisted by its venerable sister community in the cradle of the Faith and by the second oldest national community in the Baha'i world actively engaged in the propagation of the Faith in the Asiatic continent; confident of the help of its Egyptian and Indian sister communities, whose destiny is closely linked with the African continent and southeast Asia respectively, and, lastly, a.s.sured of the unfailing cooperation of yet another national community in the Antipodes which, owing to its geographical position, is bound to a.s.sume a notable share in the introduction of the Faith in the islands of the South Pacific Ocean, the American Baha'i Community must, as befits its rank as the chief executor of the Divine Plan, play a dominant and decisive role in the direction and control of the manifold operations involved in the prosecution of the North American, the Latin American, the European, the African, the Asian and the South Pacific campaigns of this World Crusade, and insure, by every means at its disposal and in conjunction with its junior partners, its ultimate and total success.

Within its own sphere, extending to every continent of the globe, embracing no less than twenty-nine virgin territories and islands, the members of this stalwart and preeminent community are called upon, among other things and within the relatively brief span of a single decade, to create nuclei, around which will crystallize future a.s.semblies, in no less than eleven territories and islands of Africa, eight of Asia, six of Europe, four of America; to inaugurate the establishment of the future dependencies of the Mother Temple of the West, and to terminate the landscaping of its grounds; to consolidate and broaden the basis of the Administrative Order already laid in twenty-three territories and islands distributed in four continents of the globe and situated in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; to a.s.sist in the erection of no less than thirty-six pillars, twenty in Latin America, twelve in Europe, two in Asia, one in the North American continent and one in Africa, designed to help in sustaining the weight of the crowning unit of the Baha'i Administrative Order, and in the establishment of national Baha'i headquarters, of national endowments, and of national incorporations in all of these continents; to lend its aid for the acquisition of land in antic.i.p.ation of the erection of four Temples, two in Europe, one in Africa and one in Central America; to lend an impetus to the progress of the Faith in its homeland through raising to three hundred the number of local spiritual a.s.semblies and to one hundred the number of incorporated a.s.semblies, as well as through the founding of a Baha'i Publishing Trust and the proclamation of the Faith through the press and radio; to enroll in the ranks of the followers of Baha'u'llah members of the Indian, of the Basque and Gypsy races; to a.s.sume responsibility for the translation and publication of Baha'i literature in twenty languages, ten in the Americas and ten in Europe; and to contribute to the consolidation of the Faith in eight of the European goal countries through the establishment of local incorporations, as well as through the quadrupling of the number of local a.s.semblies and the trebling of the number of local Baha'i centers in each one of them.

While this colossal task, which in its magnitude and potentialities transcends any previous collective enterprise launched in the course of American Baha'i history, is being energetically carried out, it should be constantly borne in mind-and this applies to all communities without exception partic.i.p.ating in this World Crusade-that the twofold task of extension and consolidation must be supplemented by continuous and strenuous efforts to increase speedily not only the number of the avowed followers of the Faith in both the virgin and opened territories and islands included within the scope of the Ten Year Plan, but also to swell the ranks of its active supporters who will consecrate their time, resources and energy to the effectual spread of its teachings and the multiplication and consolidation of its administrative inst.i.tutions.

The movement of pioneers, the opening of virgin territories, the initiation of Houses of Worship and of administrative headquarters, the incorporation of local and national elective bodies, the multiplication of a.s.semblies, groups and isolated centers, the increase in the number of races represented in the world Baha'i fellowship, the translation, publication and dissemination of Baha'i literature, the consolidation of administrative agencies and the creation of auxiliary bodies designed to support them, however valuable, essential and meritorious, will in the long run amount to little and fail to achieve their supreme purpose if not supplemented by the equally vital task-which is one that primarily concerns continually and challenges each single individual believer whatever his rank, capacity or origin-of winning to the Faith fresh recruits to the slowly yet steadily advancing army of the Lord of Hosts, whose reinforcing strength is so essential to the safeguarding of the victories which the band of heroic Baha'i conquerors are winning in the course of their several campaigns in all the continents of the globe.

Such a steady flow of reinforcements is absolutely vital and is of extreme urgency, for nothing short of the vitalizing influx of new blood that will reanimate the world Baha'i community can safeguard the prizes which, at so great a sacrifice involving the expenditure of so much time, effort and treasure, are now being won in virgin territories by Baha'u'llah's valiant Knights, whose privilege is to const.i.tute the spearhead of the onrushing battalions which, in diverse theaters and in circ.u.mstances often adverse and extremely challenging, are vying with each other for the spiritual conquest of the unsurrendered territories and islands on the surface of the globe.

This flow, moreover, will presage and hasten the advent of the day which, as prophesied by 'Abdu'l-Baha, will witness the entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the Baha'i world-a day which, viewed in its proper perspective, will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a ma.s.s conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature, and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Baha'u'llah.

MOST VITAL OBJECTIVE IN THE CRUSADE'S OPENING YEAR

Of all the objectives enumerated in my message to the representatives of this community, a.s.sembled on the occasion of the celebration of the climax of the Holy Year, of the convocation of the second Intercontinental Teaching Conference, of the inauguration of the Mother Temple of the West and of the launching of the World Spiritual Crusade, the most vital, urgent and meritorious, in this the opening year of the initial phase of this world-embracing enterprise, is, without doubt, the settlement of pioneers in all the virgin territories and islands a.s.signed to this community in all the continents of the globe, with the exception of the few which, owing to present political obstacles, cannot as yet be opened to the Faith of Baha'u'llah. This process already so auspiciously inaugurated, which, in the course of the first eight months of the Holy Year has gathered such splendid momentum, and which bids fair to astonish, stimulate and inspire the entire Baha'i world, must, during the concluding months of this same year and the one succeeding it, be so accelerated as to insure the attainment of this paramount objective before the lapse of two years from the official launching of this World Crusade.

While this goal is being vigorously pursued, close attention must be directed to the preliminary measures for the establishment of the first dependency of the Mother Temple of the West, as well as to the completion of the landscaping of its grounds, a double task that will, on the one hand, mark the termination of the fifty-year-old process of the construction of the central Baha'i House of Worship, and proclaim, on the other, the commencement of another designed to culminate in the establishment in its plenitude of the inst.i.tution of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar as conceived by Baha'u'llah and envisaged by 'Abdu'l-Baha. Moreover, immediate consideration should be given to two other issues of prime importance, namely the purchase of land, which need not exceed for the present one acre, in antic.i.p.ation of the construction of the first Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar of South Africa, and the prompt translation of a suitable Baha'i pamphlet into the American and European languages allocated to your a.s.sembly, and its publication and wide dissemination among the peoples and tribes for whom it has been primarily designed.