African leaders tackle environmental القادة الأفارقة يعالجون الأهداف البيئية goals

نشر على موقع الجامعة البهائية العالمية  فى 27 يونيو بالجابون – افريقيا

27 June 2017

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A rainforest in Gabon, the host country of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, which took place from 10–11 June 2017 in Libreville, the capital city (photo published on the UNEP website, copyright Alex Rouvin)

LIBREVILLE, Gabon — When addressing issues of climate change, we need to adopt a holistic perspective, said the Baha’i International Community at a recent meeting on the environment that convened leaders in Africa.

“We have to look at the spiritual and material dimensions. How do we live with nature harmoniously?” asked Solomon Belay, Representative of the BIC Office in Addis Ababa. “We need a coherent view of environmental issues and a plan based on that.”

The meeting in Gabon from 10–11 June 2017 brought together around 45 representatives from United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the PanAfrican Climate Justice Alliance, African Union Commission, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), and the Pan-African Parliamentarian’s Network on Climate Change, among others.

The BIC has been engaged in a conversation with UNEP about the contribution faith-based organizations can make to the UN’s environmental goals, and this month’s meeting was an opportunity for African leaders to build consensus around environmental issues in preparation for the third meeting of the UN Environmental Assembly at the end of the year.

Participants at the seminar in Gabon discussed innovative environmental solutions that would accelerate the implementation of the UN’s sustainable development goals in Africa. While this meeting signals yet another advance in efforts to protect the environment, the conversation on the environment still remains relatively fragmented, said Dr. Belay.

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The Regional Consultation meeting for Africa Major Groups and Stakeholders from 10-11 June 2017 in Libreville, Gabon. BIC Representative Solomon Belay is sitting 3rd from the left.

“The spiritual dimension is almost completely missing,” he commented

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تهنئة بعيد الفطر المبارك الى المسلمين فى مصر والعالم

Unveiling galvanizes island

21 June 2017

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The sounding of the conch shell by members of the Isla Baha’i community on Tanna marked the unveiling of the Temple design. This is a traditional act that signals significant milestones.

TANNA, Vanuatu — Over a thousand people gathered Sunday, 18 June 2017, for the unveiling of the design for the local Baha’i House of Worship in Tanna in the island nation of Vanuatu, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.

Hailing from Tanna, neighboring islands, and further afield, participants included government dignitaries, tribal chiefs, and representatives from various religious groups including Yapinap, an indigenous belief system.

During his remarks at the gathering, President of Nikoletan Tanna Island Council of Chiefs, Chief Freeman Nariu Sawaram, emphasized the importance of unity, sharing the analogy of the diverse organs of the human body working together for a common purpose. “We are here today to launch a starting point in a journey by the Baha’i community,” he said. “We have to join hands, work together, and forgive one another. Then we can achieve whatever the whole body requires and build a better Tanna.”

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Many of the island’s inhabitants were dressed in Tannese traditional costumes to welcome the unveiling of the Temple design.

“Unity is a strong powerful force for our nation that will change our society,” said Chief Sawaram in an interview later. “The answer to progress and true development is unity—without this we cannot advance forward. Our people must know this truth.”

The event was a collective celebration for the island. Its inhabitants have come to see the House of Worship as a sacred space that will belong to all of their people. Plans for the raising of the Temple have been a rallying point for unity with a palpable impact on the sense of comradery and oneness among the island’s population.

“Our forefathers predicted that one day the people of the island would unite, work and live together, and consult with each other,” said a prominent tribal leader, Chief Mikim Teinakou. “I see the fulfillment of their vision in this Temple.”

The Chairman of the Yapinap Nasuman Asul Peoples Association spoke about the impact of planning for a Temple in Tanna: “I praise the Baha’i community for this Temple, which will educate us to have respect for the sacred, to stop our disputes over land, and to bring respect and unity to our villages.”

Sunday’s ceremony began with a devotional program that included writings from a number of major faiths and traditions, followed by singing and dancing, and then the unveiling of the Temple design.

Celebrations began in the morning and continued with much joy and excitement through the afternoon, punctuated by prayer, song, and dance.

“The unveiling of the design was amazing,” said a youth from the nearby island of Efate. “It captures the culture of the Tannese people—how humble they are, how beautiful, how respectful, and how happy.”

Another participant remarked, “The unveiling ceremony brought so much joy to my heart that I am certain the transformation that the Temple will bring to our society will be great, so great.”

Related Stories

• Design of Vanuatu Temple unveiled
• Design of Colombian House of Worship unveiled
• Temple hailed as a transcendental ‘gift’ to Chile and the continent

كشف النقاب على تصميم مشرق اذكار فناواتو

نشر على موقع الجامعة البهائية العالمية اليوم 18 -6-2017 تم كشف النقاب على تصميم مشرق اذكار قرية فناواتو وهو بسيط وجميل يشبه الطبيعة حولهم  واحتفل السكان جميعا من كل الطوائف يرقصون ويحتفلون به  باالوانهم الجميلة

 

18 June 2017

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TANNA, Vanuatu — In a momentous development for the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, the design for the local Baha’i House of Worship was unveiled today.

The design is captivating in its simple yet striking form, inspired by the coconut and banyan trees of the island and the natural forms of the landscape.

“This structure will be the embodiment of serenity and represent the archipelago’s history and culture,” said Ashkan Mostaghim, the Temple’s architect.

Double-sided roofs made of reeds and sugar-cane leaves rise to a central point, making the Temple appear as a nine-pointed star. The walls of the House of Worship are designed to be created using stakes and plaited reeds, drawing on local architecture of the region.

“The interior space is defined by light,” said Mr. Mostaghim. Throughout the day, light will stream through the open screens and delicate glass oculus. The Temple has space for 300 visitors and a choir to be present—both for community devotions and private meditation and prayer in a space of serenity.

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An interior view of the Temple, which will seat 300 people.

A jubilant celebration in Tanna on 18 June 2017 marked the unveiling of the Temple’s design. The program included readings from different sacred texts, signifying that the Temple is open to all.

The House of Worship will enhance the vibrant community life on Tanna. A sense of collective ownership of the Temple, even before its design had been unveiled, was already present in the consciousness of the island’s inhabitants. In the early stages of the design process, numerous people from the island, including chiefs and other tribal leaders, submitted ideas for the structure of the central edifice and gathered for meetings to discuss its purpose and implications for their society.

“The design of the House of Worship in Tanna has been inspired by the Baha’i writings, and we have endeavored to portray its principles in the structure,” said the architect. The Temple will uniquely symbolize the unity of all people and the integral connection of worship of God and service to humanity.

Related Stories

• Dawn unveiling for Cambodian temple design
• Design of Colombian House of Worship unveiled
• Casting light on design of Temple

Video seeks to bring sacred words to masses اغنية بها الكلمات المقدسة الالهية البهائية

نشر 13 يونيو 2017 على موقع الجامعة البهائية

الاغنية للمطرب الشهير بااستراليا وهو من جنوب افريقيا نتالينا  والحان الموسيقار الشهير انيس والكلمات من لوح لحضرة بهاء الله الملكة فيكتوريا التى الغت العبودية للبشر وهى جدة أول ملكة فى العالم تؤمن بالدين البهائى وهى ملكة رومانيا مارى والتى بها مناجاة لله . و تم تصويرها فى الاماكن الطبيعية الجميلة التى كان يحبها حضرة بهاء الله والاغنية هى تحضير للاحتفالية ميلادين حضرة بهاء الله فى اكتوبر 2017م ان شاء الله

Nathaniel in the video “Power Over All Things.” Reflecting on the words of Baha’u’llah, he said, “I feel that this is a very powerful prayer for aid and assistance and in this much sensitive time around the world we really need more of these powerful words available.”

1. “حضرة بهاء الله” سرد بالصور

http://bahaullah.arabic-bahai.org/tablets/

الخلفية التاريخية

في القرن التاسع عشر شهدت إيران والإمبراطورية العثمانية ضمن العالم الإسلامي ظهور حضرة بهاءالله والوقائع التي صاحبت ولادة دين جديد من عند الله.

أمْلت القيادة الصارمة لهتين السلطتين المركزيتين تحركات حضرة بهاءالله طوال حياته، بدءًا مما كان يُسمى فارس آنذاك، حيث كانت ولادته.

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مئويتين ميلاد حضرة بهاء الله وحضرة الباب Bicentennial Birthday Celebrations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh

مع العد التنازلى لمئويينن ميلاد حضرة بهاء الله وحضرة الباب  بدأ البهائيون فى العالم وضع بعض الفاعليات او الاغانى او البرامج وهى متعددة وبكل لغات العالم  اخترت لكم واحدة  منها وهى :

 

Published on Mar 6, 2017

This year and continuing to 2019, Bahá’s around the world will celebrate the Festivals of Birthdays the bicentennial births of the Twin Manfestations, or Prophet-Founders, of the Bahá’í Faith—the birth of the Báb on October 20, 1819, and the birth of Bahá’u’lláh on November 12,

Murals as symbols of solidarity, resilience الاخلاقيات كرموز للتضامن والمرونة

نشر 4 يونيو 2017 على موقع الجامعة البهائية العالمية

4 June 2017

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NEW YORK, United States — Marthalicia Matarrita is a Latina artist from New York City. Although her life is a world away from Iran, Ms. Matarrita’s artwork connected her with Education is Not a Crime, a street art campaign to raise awareness of the denial of education to Baha’i students in Iran.

It is a formally instituted state policy of the Iranian government to ban the Baha’is, Iran’s largest religious minority, from teaching and studying in universities.

IN DEPTH: Listen to learn more about the background of Education is Not a Crime and the upcoming film

Diane Ala’i from the BIC provides background on the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education in Iran. Education is Not a Crime Coordinator Saleem Vaillancourt talks about the background of the campaign and its new film, Changing the World, One Wall at a Time.

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Ms. Matarrita was born and raised in Harlem, a historic New York City neighborhood known as a center of African-American and Hispanic life and culture. Because of her own experience struggling with institutionalized injustice as she was pursuing an education in the city, Ms. Matarrita forged a personal connection with the stories of the Baha’i students for whom she painted a mural on a public school in Harlem.

Her mural—a child and a flower symbolizing the seed that education plants—is just one of many across Harlem and around the world calling for equality through art as part of the Education is Not a Crime campaign.

The story of the unusual street art campaign and the history of the human rights issue behind it are captured in the new documentary Changing the World, One Wall at a Time.

Education is Not a Crime

Education is Not a Crime was started by the Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Maziar Bahari in 2014. Mr. Bahari is not a Baha’i himself, but he has worked to expose the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran for several years, notably beginning with the release of his documentary To Light a Candle in 2014.

Mr. Bahari’s background and work over the years connected him to the plight of the Iranian Baha’i community. In 2009, he was arrested under the charge of being a spy and imprisoned for four months. His prison experience was profoundly transformational, and upon his release he began to dedicate his life’s work to the improvement of human rights conditions in Iran.

Many human rights activists, including Mr. Bahari, see the Baha’is in Iran as a barometer issue, meaning that if Baha’is are being mistreated, their civil liberties disrespected, and their human rights denied, it’s an indication that the government of Iran is not sincere in its claim to respect the human rights of any groups.

Mr. Bahari’s work, both with the Education is Not a Crime campaign and To Light a Candle, draws attention to the distinctive response of the Iranian Baha’i community to oppression through the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), an informal university program that is implemented in living rooms and through online courses. Over the last thirty years, BIHE has assisted thousands of Baha’i youth to complete their education in a number of fields. Many students have continued onto their masters and doctorate programs at well-known universities around the world which have accepted its graduates for further studies.

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The mural “To Blossom” by artist Tatyana Fazalizadeh is located at PS92 in Harlem. It is a part of the Education is Not a Crime campaign, which raises awareness about the denial of education to Iranian Baha’i.

احتفالية ميلادان حضرة بهاء الله وحضرة الباب تُسلط الضوء على الاتحاد Bicentenaries highlight unity

نشر على الموقع الرسمى للجامعة البهائية العالمية 1 يونيو 2017

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — As the Baha’i community prepares to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, the Harvard Divinity School is also commemorating its bicentenary.

This confluence of noteworthy anniversaries has more in common than the mere overlap of dates. In the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, a number of eminent American philosophers, artists, and writers connected to both the Baha’i Faith and Harvard University were engaged in a dynamic, emerging discourse on unity.