Celebrating Declaration of the Bab

On the evening of May 22, we Baha’is throughout the world commemorate the Declaration of the Bab, which took place in the Persian city of Shiraz in 1844.
The Báb declared, that the Promised One is destined to usher in the age of justice, unity and peace promised in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and all the other great religions. Bahá’u'lláh, one of the Báb’s leading advocates, announced in April 1863 that He was the Divine Messenger the Báb had promised.
The Báb’s announcement in the middle of the 19th century came at a time when many Christians were expecting the return of Christ based on their reading of Biblical prophecy.
Simultaneously, half way around the world, in the Middle East, many followers of Islam were also expecting their Promised One to appear irrespective of their sectarian beliefs.
Bab attracted thousands of followers in Iran in a very short time. His followers were persecuted by the religious and political heads. Thousands were tortured and put to death.
We celebrate the anniversary of the Báb’s declaration through prayers and programs. Suspend our mechandise and work on this day as it is one of the nine holy days in the Bahá’í calendar.
We appeal to the Baha'is of the world to celebrate this day in full vigour and effective force.