Results 41 to 50 of 561

Istanbul hosts 38th in series of 41 conferences

Istanbul, Turkey, 17 February 09

The 38th conference in the series of Baha’i gatherings occurring around the world was held last weekend in Istanbul, drawing 925 participants, mainly from Turkey, Cyprus, and Albania. Istanbul is the only city hosting a conference where Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, set foot. Baha’u’llah was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1817.

Baha’is express gratitude for open letter of support

NEW YORK, 15 February 09

The Baha’i International Community has issued a statement of gratitude to the Iranian intellectuals, scholars, writers, journalists, activists, and artists throughout the world who signed an open letter apologizing for their silence during Iran’s long-running persecution of the Baha’is

Swift international reaction to pending trial of Iranian Baha'is

NEW YORK, 15 February 09

International reaction to news that Iran may soon put on trial seven Baha'i leaders for espionage and other charges came swiftly last week as governments, parliamentary leaders and human rights organizations expressed strong criticism of any such trial. Many called for the immediate release of the Baha'is. The group of seven has been imprisoned in Tehran since last spring

Lives of service: Profiles of seven imprisoned Baha’is

GENEVA, 12 February 09

The following are a series of short biographical profiles of the seven Baha'i leaders currently being held in Evin prison in Iran. Six were arrested in their homes in Tehran on 14 May 2008. A seventh had been arrested earlier, on 5 March 2008, while visiting Mashhad. As the profiles will show, all have served Iranian society and also the Baha'i community extensively

Jailed Iranian Baha'is should be released, not put on trial, says BIC

GENEVA, 12 February 09

Reports that seven imprisoned Baha’is have been accused of espionage and other crimes and that their case will be referred to the Revolutionary Court next week are deeply concerning, potentially marking a new and dangerous stage in Iran’s persecution of Baha’is, said the Baha’i International Community today. “The accusations are false, and the government knows this,” said Diane Ala’i, the Baha’i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva

Fifty years ago, landmark gatherings lifted Baha’i world

FRANKFURT, Germany, 10 February 09

A historic Baha’i conference in Frankfurt last weekend brought to mind an earlier gathering in the same city a half century before – one that was also a milestone in Baha’i history. Last weekend’s event in Frankfurt was one of the current series of 41 conferences around the globe marking the half-way point of a five-year effort involving establishment of community-building activities in tens of thousands of neighborhoods and villages.

Cambodia hosts 2,100 Baha’is at historic gathering

BATTAMBANG, Cambodia, 03 February 09

Some 2,100 Baha’is from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered in Cambodia’s second-largest city for a historic conference that had citizens of all four nations sitting side by side to discuss service activities in their communities. The gathering last weekend was one of a series of 41 Baha’i conferences being held in major cities around the world. The events began on 1 November in Lusaka, Zambia, and will conclude on 1 March in Kiev, Ukraine.

Baha'i International Community deplores destruction of Khavaran cemetery

GENEVA, 30 January 09

The destruction earlier this month of a cemetery in Iran used for the mass burial of hundreds killed in the aftermath of the Islamic revolution in 1979 is an outrageous violation of human dignity, the Baha'i International Community said today. More than 50 Baha'is were among those buried at the site

World’s coldest capital hosts Baha’i conference

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, 27 January 09

The coldest capital city on earth was the gathering place last weekend for 1,800 Baha’is from Mongolia, Russia, and other nations – called together to celebrate achievements in community-building work and make plans for future activities at the local level. Temperatures reached minus 30 C a day or two before the conference as people made their way to the gathering.

Gathering in Lae draws 1,500; for the Americas, series is complete

LAE, Papua New Guinea, 20 January 09

From every corner of Papua New Guinea, the Baha’is came – and that was not easy. They were eager to reach the city of Lae to attend a regional conference – one of 41 being held in cities around the world at the call of the Universal House of Justice, the elected body that is the head of the Baha’i Faith.