An international conference of the Orthodox Bahais of the world held at Albuquerque, New Mexico on 9th and 10th June 2012. Conference opened with the reciting of several prayers by the friends including the Healing Prayer for all of those who are currently facing health problems. The friends were delighted to welcome Hand of the Cause, Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand, from Australia, to share their conference experience. He is the Vice President of the Third International Baha’i Council and the appointed successor of the Third Guardian. Deepening This conference was a very successful gathering with the view point of devotionals and deepening. The following subjects discussed by the friends present in the conference: The Necessity for a Mediator. Prayer Indispensable and Obligatory. Prayer the Language of Love. Love, Jewels from the Words of Abdu’l-Baha. Why do bad things happen to good people? Prayer and Natural Law. The Seven Mouths of God. Seven major faiths Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai’ism must be united from around the world. The History of the Tablet of Ahmad. Who was Ahmad? What was happening historically when this tablet was revealed? Khalil Gibran and the Baha’i Faith. The Creative Power of the Word of God. Administration & Future Vision Publishing and Feast activities of Orthodox Baha’i’ Community of Roswell discussed. Same will continue to invite people to the Baha’i Topics. As the Feast is the bedrock of the community and the main purpose of feasts is consultation, will continue in Roswell and in Indian Community of Orthodox Baha’is. As per the directives of Guardian, as far as possible new technologies will be utilized to deliver the message of guardianship. Video-conferencing, possibly using ‘Hang-out’ on Google+ and… will be encouraged everyone to use social networking sites, such as Google+, where you can distinguish groups of people through ‘circles. All friends are encouraged to develop a personal page or blog. The topic Suggested for future conferences are: Love, the Will and Testament of Baha’u’llah (Kitab-I-‘Ahd or the Book of the Covenant). Review of part I of the Seven Valleys, Tahirih, more from the New Era such as Science and Religion, a discussion of The Bible Code. The Orthodox Baha’is of Colorado offered to host the summer 2013 conference in Colorado Springs. The appointed successor of the Third Guardian, the Vice President of the Third International Baha’i Council the Hand of Cause of God Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand delivered a message of Third Guardian Joel Bray Marangella that: “the Guardian has asked us to create a presence on the internet. He said everyone can have a blog, or get onto Facebook, Google+ or any social networking site. Conference ended with the prayer by Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand.
Joel Bray Marangella marked the inauguration first time on
29th May 1991 on the Indian sub-continent by appealing in the
Times of India, with the title: An appeal to the Heterodox Baha’is and
appealed in a more comprehensive second advertisement on 7th
March 1992 and subsequently, the third advertisement in the Times of India
on 16and 17th May 1992, which
resulted in the historic formation of the Mother Baha’i Council of India in
Delhi with Mr. Vinod Kumar, a young and faithful Baha’i, as its secretary.
It had been the third guardian’s desire for the Faith in India to develop
favorably. Subsequently two more local councils were formed in Bhagalpur
district and the other in Thane, with a number of localities and individual
believers declaring their loyalty to the “Center of the Cause” who is
none other than the Living Guardian of the Faith Joel B. Marangella.
Encouraged by the sudden response from the Indian Baha'is,
the third Guardian, on the occasion of the 100th year of the
Ascension of Baha u llahplaced fourth adverstisement in the Times of
Indiaon May 29, 1992which called upon the Indian Bahais
to faithfully uphold the Covenant of Baha’u’llah by turning to the Guardian and
serving their ties with the erroneously constituted sans-Guardian organization.
The Guardian also welcomed the Indian Baha’is into the true Administrative
Order, headed by the Guardian and founded upon sacred immutable provisions of
Will and Testament of Abdu’l Baha. With advertisements, the Bahai believers
throughout India came to realize that the Guardianship is an integral part of
the Faith.
Overwhelmed by the success of the Orthodox Baha'i Faith and
eagerness of the Indian believers to accept the Faith under the Guardianship,
the third Guardian, Joel Bray Marangella, sent two American believers, Mr.
Frank Schlatter and David Maxwell, to assess the situation in India and while
there, to teach and deepen the Orthodox Baha'is, during their visits to Delhi,
Agra, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Baroda and Rajgir. Their visit enhanced the teaching
activities of the Orthodox Baha’is and more firmly established the Orthodox
Baha’i Faith in India.
Subsequently, more advertisements appeared and under the
direction of the National Baha’i Council of India and with the cooperation of
various local councils, many Councils were established and a number of
individual Baha’is, residing in various parts of India, were brought into the
Faith under the Guardianship.
The prominent personalities of the Orthodox Baha’i Community
in India are Dr. Ram Krishna Singh of Varanasi. He is a University
professor, teaching English language skills to students of earth and mineral
sciences. He has authored over 150 articles, a65 book reviews and 34 books,
including twelve collections of poems. He has received several awards and
honours, including honorary Litt. D. from the World Academy of Arts and
Culture, Taiwan, 1984, Michael Madhusudan Award, Calcutta, 1994 and Peace
Museum Award from Ritsumeikan University, Koyoto, 1999. His blog: http://rksingh.blogspot.com .
Dr. Zayn Luqmani Fateh, a physician by profession, is
an intellectual amongst the Baha’is of India due to his deep understanding of
the Faith. He is the son of the late Dr. M.R. Luqmani, who was bestowed by the
first Guardian Shoghi Effendi with the title of FATEH, the spiritual
conqueror of Ceylon, where he rendered outstanding services. Dr.
Zayn when he was a child, met to the second Guardian Mason Remey in Celone.
Mr. Vinod Kumar a devoted Orthodox Baha’i, a banker
by profession, formed many local Councils around Delhi and in other part of
India. Mr. Vinod Kumar is a very brave man and he had debated many well known
Baha’is of India concerning to the continuity of Guardianship in Baha’i Faith.
He was the secretary of the National Bahai Council of India since its
inception.
Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Mr. Rajni Patel, Mr. Y.H Taylor, Mr. Raj
Paual Singh, Mrs. Madhu Mehta, Mr. Rajendra Upadhyaye, Mr. Rocky Patel, Mr.
Ajay Sharma, Dr. Siddiqui, are the well known Orthodox Baha’is of India. (Some of the names of the prominent Bahais who have accepted the truth of continuty of Guardianship in Bahai Faith but due to some reason they can declare it publically, thus their names are not added this list).
Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand in India: Nosrat’u’llah
Bahremand born in Shiraz (Iran) the city of the Bab on 25th August
1942. He grew up in Tehran. His ancestors from mother side were Baha’i and
father sides were Muslims. His father Dr. Hassan Bahremand studied in Medicine
in India in a British Medical College. The Third Guardian Joel Bray
Marangella appointed to Mr. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand on 22nd
September 2006 as the Vice President of Third International Baha’i Council and
upon the termination of his guardianship, his chosen successor. Nosrat visited India
on 15th, 16th & 17th September 2010.
Orthodox Baha’is of Thane, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad welcomed him with a great
pleasure.
Message of Mr. Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand to the Indian Bahais:
He gave the message to the Indian friends that “the Baha’i Faith teaches us to love our
enemy also. We are servant. The Religion is Blessings for all of us. We are
blessed one due to some of our good deeds.
Hands of Cause of God: The third Guardian of Baha’i
Faith Joel Marangella has appointed till date twelve Hands of Cause from
different parts of the world and two of them, Dr. A. Parikh and Mr. Y. H Taylor
are from India.
Members
of Third International Baha’i Council form India are Mr. Parikh and Mr. Taylor.
Our main sites are: www.bahaisorthodox.com
and http//mybahaifaith.blogspot.com and many other sites.
A. Parikh,
Secretary,
National Baha’i Council of (Orthodox Baha’is) of India,
Third Guardian of Bahai Faith - Joel Bray Marangella
In 1965, Joel Bray Marangella
became the Third Guardian of the Faith, having been appointed by Mason
Remey as his successor both in a hand-written letter and through his
appointment of him as the President of the Second International Bahá'Ã
Council (the embryonic Universal House of Justice of which only the
Guardian is the authorized legitimate head). He born on September 22, 1918 in Lynn,Massachusetts, to his parents Phillip Amalfi Marangella and Edith Brooks
Guthrie Marangella, both of whom enrolled as Bahá'Ãs when Joel was a baby. He
resided in many of the major cities of the United States and participated both
in the spiritual and administrative activities of their various Bahá'Ã
communities. He married Irene, also a Bahá'Ã, in 1945, and five years later
they answered the call of Shoghi Effendi (the first Guardian of the Faith) for
pioneers to go to Europe to help spread the Faith and spent eighteen years in
France. In 1954, the Hands of the Cause appointed Joel as an Auxiliary Board
Member for the propagation of the Faith. He participated in the formation of
the first National Spiritual Assembly of France in May 1958 becoming its
first President and again following its two successive elections.
After leaving France in 1968, Joel
lived successively in Germany, Switzerland and Australia before his return to
the United States in March of 2010. Joel Bray Marangella is recognized by
Orthodox Bahá'Ãs as the third Guardian of the Bahá'à Faith, the authorized
interpreter of the Bahá'à Writings and the president and sacred head for life
of the Universal House of Justice (provisionally named, in its embryonic form,
as the International Bahá'à Council of the Orthodox Bahá'Ãs).
A. Parikh,
Secretary,
National Baha’i Council of (Orthodox Baha’is) of India,
Shoghi Effendi appointed in his own life time, his successor to an
American Baha’i, Charles Mason Remey under the direction of Abdu’l Baha as he
wrote in his Will and Testament that: “…It
is incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life
time him (next guardian) that shall become his successor, that differences may
not arise after his passing.”
Mason Remey was born in America on 15th May 1874.
He declared himself a Baha’i in the age of about twenty six and half year on 31st
December, 1899 on the hand of May Ellis Bowles (later Mrs. May Sutherland
Maxwell, the mother of Ruhiyyih Khanum). Mason would later become close to the
members of the Holy Family: Baha’u’llah’s eldest Son and Successor, Abdu’l
Baha, Baha’u’llah’s daughter, Bahiyyih Khanum and his great grandsons, Shoghi
Effendi. A tablet was sent from Abdu’l Baha on 3rd May 1906 to Mason
Remey, which was of tremendous importance as it portended his role in the
distant future as the second Guardian of Faith:
“Verily I beseech
God to make thee under all circumstances. Do not become desponded neither be
thou sad. Ere long, thy Lord shall make thee a sign of guidance among mankind.”
Many other tablets received by him from Abdu’l Baha in which he has addressed
him as “O my dear son”
Mason Remeyin India: He traveled most of the
cities of the world in different countries and he came in India too in 1910
and visited Calcutta, Baroda, Banaras, Agra, Delhi, Mount Aboo and Bombay.
In 1950, Shoghi Effendi, the first guardian, invited Charles Mason Remey to
Haifa, the World Administrative Centre of the Faith, and henceforth make it his
home. On 9th January 1951 Shoghi Effendi in his proclamation
informed the Baha’i world that “at long last” he had established the first International
Baha’i Council (the embryonic Universal House of Justice)—the supreme
legislative organ of the Baha’i Administrative Order. As the distinguished head
or President of this embryonic UHJ he appointed Mason Remey, an appointment
that had tremendous implications which Baha’i world as a whole failed to grasp
undoubtedly due to the fact that during the seven years that remained of shoghi
Effendi’s ministry, the International Baha’i Council remained in an inactive
state never functioning as collective body. Mason Remey wrote a letter for his
proclamation of guardianship in Ridvan 1960 to Charles Wolcott, the Secretary
of National Spiritual Assembly of USA to address to the Annual National
Convention. As he was the president of embryonic UHJ, was the Second Guardian
of Baha’i Faith.
According to the written Will and Testament of Baha’u’llah called the Kitab-i-Ahd, his son Abbas Effendi, known as Abdu’l Baha who was born in Tehran on 23rd May, 1844, was the successor of Baha u llah. His position in the Baha’i Faith is: The Interpreter of the Word of God, the Centre of the Covenant and thus the leader and the guide of the Baha’is throughout the world after his father’s passing and - last but not least – the Exemplar of the Baha’i Faith. He occupied the above position in 1892, when he was 48 years old. Since early childhood i.e. when he was 9 years old, he was exiled and imprisoned, and freed in the year 1908 when he was 64. It was after achieving this freedom at the age of 66 that he was able to fulfill his heart’s desire to spread the Faith and promulgate the healing words of his father, by traveling through Europe and United States of America during the years 1910 to 1913. Many books, tablets and prayers on almost all subjects concerning personal and social life of Baha’is were revealed by him, to which the Baha’is refer today and in the days to come. He died in on 28th November, 1921, at the age of 77, The Heroic Age and the Covenant Epoch came to an end.
Shoghi Effendi, The First Guardian, Successor of Abdu'l Baha
As per Abdu’l Baha’s Will and Testament, Shoghi Rabbani was appointed his successor. He was born in Acre (Akka) on 1st March, 1897. He was only 24 years old and studying in England when he received the news of the passing of his beloved grandfather. Abdu’l Baha stated in his Will and Testament that Shoghi Effendi would be the Guardian of the Cause of God and the Interpreter of the Word of God after him. Also he wrote in the Will and Testament about the continuity of Guardianship in Baha’i Faith. Althogh so young in age, He powerfully and efficiently shouldered his great responsibility. He established the administrative order according to the teachings of Baha’u’ llah and Abdu’l Baha, built the shrines of the Bab, Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l Baha and also the Baha’i Archives and all the beautiful surrounding gardens in Haifa and Akka. He revealed a great number of books and tablets in Persian and English. The very most valuable benediction he bestowed upon the Western world was to translate the books, tablets and prayers of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l Baha into English, a task which only he could achieve and that also perfectly and with such skill. He passed away to the Abha Kingdom in London on 4th November, 1957, at the age of 60. He was the first guardian of Baha’i Faith for about 36 years.
A. Parikh
Hand of Cause of God,
Secretary, National Baha'i Council of India.
The Baha’i Faith started in Iran by Husain Ali Nuri, titled as Baha’u’llah. He was born in Tehran on 12th November 1817. He was the prophet of the Baha’i Religion. His intimate proclamation took place at the “Black Pit” (Siyahchal) of Tehran in 1853 when he was 36. His open proclamation occurred in Baghdad in the Najib Pasha garden later titled Ridvan Garden, at 3 in the afternoon of 21st April 1863. He proclaimed his mission to the world by sending out tablets from Adrianpole to the Rulers of States, Kings, Emperors, Presidents and Religious Leaders during the year 1867 to 1873. The duration of his prophethood was 39 years during which he was exiled from Tehran to Baghdad (11 years), Constantinople (4 months), Adrianpole (5 years) and at last to the prison city of Acre in Palestine (25 years). Over a hundred volumes were revealed from his pen, among which we can name Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), The Hidden Words, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, The tablets to the leaders of the world, Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude, The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys, many Tablets addressed to various believers, many prayers etc.
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’à calendar.
We appeal to the Baha'is of the world to celebrate this day in full vigour and effective force.
Every living organism has a heart. Upon the healthy action of which these organisms are dependent for their proper functioning, so does the Bahá’à Faith have a heart upon which its life depends and this heart is the Guardianship of the Faith. But the Hands of the Faith in their dilemma at the death of our beloved Guardian (Shoghi Effendi) were so confused and upset that they thought the Cause must get along without any more Guardianship - thus setting up a substitute for this Guardianship in their present-intending leadership of the nine Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land, for which body there is no authority whatsoever in the administrative plan of Bahá’à government as given us in the “Will and Testament” of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Hands of Faith destroyed the 36 years labor of Shoghi Effendi
The beloved Guardian labored for thirty-six years to establish the Administration. The Guardianship is the heart of the Cause and now, in less than two years after his death, the Hands of the Faith are doing what they can to destroy any hopes that believers may entertain of our ever having another Guardian. Until this present time this destruction seems to be having results that please the Hands of the Holy Land, all but with the exception of myself. The Hands are constantly calling my attention to the success of their program. Those who in their hearts oppose the Guardianship will in the end fall short…?
Let each one of us face and see his own problem, a problem that rests between himself and God, whether or not he or she wants a Guardian or not, for if the Hands of the Faith unitedly want a Guardian, they will have no difficulty, but if they, in their hearts don’t want the Guardianship, God help the Cause and God help them too. We know that in the end, the Cause will prevail. The Administration of the Cause cannot live without its heart that is the Guardianship, therefore those who in their hearts oppose the Guardianship will in the end fall short of that to which they were called to perform.
Charles Mason Remey, Second Guardian of Baha’i Faith
The National Baha’i Council of Orthodox Baha’is of India take immense pleasure in announcing a unique celebration on the occasion of a great Baha’i Festival the “Ridvan” at Tungareshwar, which is at an altitude of about 2177 feet, one of the highest mountain plateaus in Vasai/Thaneon 21st April 2012 near Chinchoti Water Fall.
Celebration will be hosted by Mr. Rajendra Upadhyaye. Orthodox Baha’is from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, New Delhi, Dombivili, Kalyan, Baroda, Nagpur and all the friends of Thane District will participate in it.
Ridvan is the Anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's Declaration of His Prophetic Mission to His followers.
Ridvan Messages, a Tradition of Guardian of the Faith
In the year 1923, the First Guardian of Baha’i Faith Shoghi Effendi sent a letter of encouragement and greeting to the American national Bahá'à convention at Ridvan. Later it was his regular practice to write a Ridvan letter to the Bahá'Ãs of the world summarizing the progress of the Faith in the previous year and setting out general directions for the coming year.
Living Guardian
The Living Guardian of Baha’i Faith Joel Bray Marangella follows the tradition of the first Guardian and he also writes a Ridvan Letter to the Orthodox Baha’is of the world. (Sans Guardian UHJ cannot write a Ridvan Letter to the Baha’is).
Hands of the Cause of GodAppointed by Third Guardian are:
1. Marilyn Meyer
2. Madeline Byers (posthumous)
3. Nosrat'u'llah Bahremand
4. Jeffrey Goldberg
5. David Maxwell
6. Y.H. Taylor
7. Grace Behrens (posthumous)
8. Joel JaniMarangella
9. James Meyer
10. Dr. A. Parikh
11. Martin Lavallee
12. Frank Schlatter (Departed Soul)
We extend our heartiest Ridvan Greetings to all the Bahais of the world and invite them on this great festival to look in the matter of continuity of guardianship.
With Best Abha Greetings,
Rajendra Upadhyaye,
The Chairman of the National Bahai Council of India.
“Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Ruz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee.
Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.”
-- Baha’u’llah--
The National Baha’i Council of Orthodox Baha’is of India congratulate to all the Baha’is on this Day of God, the Naw-Ruz (21st March) and pray on this auspicious day to guide the innocent Baha’i friends who still believe that the Universal House of Justice appoints the guardian.
During this holy period of Ayyam-i-Ha, the Third Guardian of Baha’i Faith, beloved Joel Bray Marangella addresses to the Baha’i friends in the words of Master, Abdu’l Baha in which he has emphasized the importance of LOVE in one of his wonderful Tablet.
"O thou who warmest thyself by the fire of the love of God, spreading from the Tree of the Covenant! Let thy soul be at ease and thy heart in peace concerning the perfect success and progress which the pen is not able to express, for in a short time thou shall see the flag of the Kingdom waving in those far and wide regions, and the lights of the Truth shining brilliantly in its dawn above those horizons, and thou shalt know that thou art the center of the circle of the love of God, the axis around which souls revolve in their way and supplication to God. Therefore,, thou must widen thy heart, dilate thy breast, have patience in plenty, calmness of soul and cut thyself from everything but God !
The above words of the Master are so appropriate and equally apply to all of us who are assiduously laboring today for the victory of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah and its divinely-conceived, sacred and immortal "Child."
