http://news.voicesdivine.com Bringing Baha'i news stories from around the world to your ears. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:40:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 The Bahá\'í News Podcast takes published news reports from sources such as the Bahá\'í World News Services and extends their accessibility by turning them into high quality and enjoyable audio downloads. VoicesDivine.com is an individual initiative conceived of and maintained by Hans Peterson to produce and distribute recordings of Bahá\'í writings, prayers, news reports, community messages, music, and books. Bringing Baha\'i news stories from around the world to your ears. VoicesDivine.com http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/NewsArt-600.jpghttp://news.voicesdivine.com Baha'i, Baha'i, Bahai, Baha'u'llah, Bahaullah, Bab, Bab, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Abdul-Baha, News, Universal House of Justice, UHJ no Hans Peterson hans@voicesdivine.com http://news.voicesdivine.com/358/713_one_year_new_accusation/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/358/713_one_year_new_accusation/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 18:19:35 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=358 http://news.voicesdivine.com/358/713_one_year_new_accusation/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://news.bahai.org/multimedia/slideshow.php?storyid=713" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="The seven Baháí leaders who have now been held in Tehrans Evin Prison for a full year are, seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet." src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090512-BWNS-713-one_year_new_accusation-150.jpg" alt="The seven Baháí leaders who have now been held in Tehrans Evin Prison for a full year are, seated from left, Behrouz Tavakkoli and Saeid Rezaie, and, standing, Fariba Kamalabadi, Vahid Tizfahm, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, and Mahvash Sabet." width="150" height="110" /></a></p> <p>12 May 2009, <a title="New York on the maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=40.759741,-73.972321&spn=0.453007,0.601501&t=k&z=11" target="_blank">NEW YORK, N.Y., U.S.A.</a> – The seven Bahá’í leaders currently imprisoned in Iran are facing the anniversary of their arrest this Thursday, along with new and extremely grave accusations, after spending a year in jail without formal charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin Ebadi.</p> <p>“Despite their obvious innocence and the call by many for their immediate release, these seven men and women have been in legal limbo for a year now, against all international human rights standards,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations.<span id="more-358"></span></p> <p>“Moreover, their families have recently been told of a possible new charge – ‘the spreading of corruption on earth,’ which goes by the term ‘Mofsede fel-Arz’ in Persian and carries the threat of death under the penal code of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Ms. Dugal.</p> <p>“The sequence of events surrounding their detention exposes a shameless travesty of justice. Notwithstanding their having been subjected to intensive interrogations, it took a full seven months before they were given even a single pretext for their detention. On February 10, 2009, the Iranian Student News Agency quoted Tehran deputy prosecutor Hassan Haddad as having said that the investigation of these individuals was complete and that ‘the case will be sent to the revolutionary court next week’ and that these Bahá’ís are accused of ‘espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.’ The international protest expressed by governments and civil society was immediate and widespread, causing the Iranian authorities to review their approach.</p> <p>“Now a new wrongful accusation reportedly has been added some three months after the investigation was supposed to have concluded. The charge of being spreaders of corruption was used against the Bahá’ís who were executed in the years immediately following the Islamic revolution. That it may now be resorted to in this case is a further demonstration that the authorities have no basis for any allegation against these seven individuals, other than blatant religious persecution. This action against the Bahá’í leadership reflects the government’s sharply increased persecution of the entire Iranian Bahá’í community of more than 300,000 members.</p> <p>“The upcoming anniversary of their arrest offers an important milestone and we ask that the international community re-state once again in the strongest terms its demand for their immediate release, or, at least, for a fair and open trial that meets international [...] Seven Bahá'í leaders imprisoned in Iran now facing anniversary of arrest and new and grave accusations, without charges or access to their lawyer, Shirin [...] Leanne Eleff 4:34 http://news.voicesdivine.com/351/712_australian_assembly_75/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/351/712_australian_assembly_75/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 18:19:05 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=351 http://news.voicesdivine.com/351/712_australian_assembly_75/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://news.bahai.org/multimedia/slideshow.php?storyid=712" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="The Bahai House of Worship in Sydney was the site of a devotional program on 26 April in honor of the 75th anniversary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia. The Bahai choir performs from a balcony. (Photographs by Rachael Dere)" src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090508-BWNS-712_australian_assembly_75-150.jpg" alt="The Bahai House of Worship in Sydney was the site of a devotional program on 26 April in honor of the 75th anniversary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia. The Bahai choir performs from a balcony. (Photographs by Rachael Dere)" width="150" height="213" /></a></p> <p>8 May 2009, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?source=s_q&hl=en&ie=UTF8&cd=2&geocode=FZfEcwQdjwVZ-g&split=0&num=10&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=-33.77715,151.196938&spn=0.240283,0.300751&t=k&z=12" target="_blank">SYDNEY, Australia</a> – A congratulatory message from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was read to Australian Bahá’ís as they celebrated the 75th anniversary of their National Spiritual Assembly at an event in Sydney. Participants remembered the Bahá’ís in Iran, who would be marking the same anniversary if not for the decades of persecution in that country.</p> <p>Both Iran and Australia elected their first national Bahá’í governing councils in 1934.</p> <p>In Sydney, more than 2,500 people turned out on 25 April for a special anniversary event at the Sydney Convention Centre, followed the next day by a reception on the grounds of the Bahá’í House of Worship.<span id="more-351"></span></p> <p>A spokesperson for the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia said at the reception that the Iranian Assembly was dissolved in 1983.</p> <p>This occurred after the Iranian Prosecutor General called for the dismantling of the Bahá’í administrative structure. Persecution of the Iranian Bahá’ís had intensified in the years immediately following the Islamic Revolution in 1979. During that time all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran were abducted and disappeared without a trace, assumed to have been killed. Individuals subsequently elected to the same Assembly were then executed along with scores of other Bahá’ís.</p> <p>About 40 Bahá’ís are currently in prison in Iran because of their religion, including seven men and women who had a leadership role in helping see to the needs of the 300,000-member Bahá’í community there.</p> <p>Delegates to the annual Bahá’í convention in Australia referred to Iran in a message: “We grieve for the 30 years lost to the Bahá’í administration in Iran and salute those who gave their lives as a result of their service to that institution as well as the selfless dedication of the Iranian friends throughout their long oppression.”</p> <p>Prime minister sends greetings</p> <p>Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd sent a message for the anniversary event, read by Member of Parliament Laurie Ferguson.</p> <p>In his own address, Mr. Ferguson complimented the Australian Bahá’í community: “Your organization is in the forefront of tolerance, debate, and rationality.”</p> <p>He said he was particularly concerned by the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.</p> <p>Also speaking at the reception was Dr. Peter Khan, a member of the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith.</p> <p>Dr. Khan said that since its establishment in 1934, the National Spiritual Assembly of [...] Prime Minister Kevin Rudd congratulated Australian Bahá’ís on the 75th anniversary of their National Spiritual Assembly at an event in Sydney. Leanne Eleff 5:00 http://news.voicesdivine.com/339/711_nunavut_art_project/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/339/711_nunavut_art_project/#comments Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:19:37 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=339 http://news.voicesdivine.com/339/711_nunavut_art_project/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://news.bahai.org/multimedia/slideshow.php?storyid=711" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="These works were created by Ooleepeeka Ipeelie and Seepoola Innuaraq during their participation in the Arctic Youth Art Initiative. (Photo courtesy the Bahai Community of Canada.)" src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090426-BWNS-711_nunavut_art_project-150.jpg" alt="These works were created by Ooleepeeka Ipeelie and Seepoola Innuaraq during their participation in the Arctic Youth Art Initiative. (Photo courtesy the Bahai Community of Canada.)" /></a></p> <p>26 April 2009, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=63.749478,-68.521214&spn=0.016533,0.065746&t=h&z=15" target="_blank">IQALUIT, NUNAVUT, Canada</a> – Beth McKenty moved to sparsely populated northeast Canada – to Iqaluit on Baffin Island – in 1999 to fulfill a pledge, made 45 years earlier, to devote part of her life to reducing youth suicide.</p> <p>Within two weeks of arriving she had begun a project to help children build self-esteem by exploring their creativity. The Arctic Youth Art Initiative has since grown to involve hundreds of children.</p> <p>Ms. McKenty’s efforts were acknowledged this month when she was one of 75 individuals from across Canada named as recipients of the Caring Canadian Awards for 2009. Created in 1996 by the Canadian Governor General, the award is presented to individuals and groups whose unpaid, voluntary contributions over a number of years provide extraordinary help or care to people in their community.<span id="more-339"></span></p> <p>It has been a long and often surprising road for Ms. McKenty from her birthplace of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=49.047756,-98.659716&spn=0.011842,0.018797&t=k&z=16" target="_blank">Snowflake, Manitoba</a>, to Iqaluit, population 7,200 and the capital of the Nunavut territory. In addition to several decades in Wisconsin, where she worked as a freelance journalist and raised a family, she has lived in Japan, China, and Russia, and she has taught at the<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=36.293665,-109.216869&spn=0.014147,0.018797&t=k&z=16" target="_blank"> Navajo College at Tsaile, Arizona</a>, in the United States.</p> <p>“I started out on a farm in Manitoba, one of seven children,” she said. “My father was from pioneer stock and a veteran who served at Vimy Ridge. My mother, a nurse, was an Icelandic immigrant. We grew up in a home with an openness to the whole world.</p> <p>“In 1954, my younger brother took his own life. One way I dealt with the anguish was to make a promise to myself that some day, somehow, I would do something to help reduce youth suicide.”</p> <p>It was the day of her brother’s funeral that she first heard of the Bahá’í Faith. As she learned of Bahá’u'lláh’s world-embracing principle of unity, she felt it matched the values she had grown up with. A life of Bahá’í activity has followed.</p> <p>“I was so busy and the years went by, but my plan always included fulfilling my promise to my brother,” she said. “Then in 1999, two things happened simultaneously. I read that the rate of youth suicide in newly formed Nunavut was seven times the Canadian average. Around the same time, I attended the Bahá’í National Convention in Montreal where I learned of opportunities for service in the Arctic. [...] Beth McKenty moved to Iqaluit in northeast Canada in 1999 to fulfill a pledge, made 45 years earlier, to devote part of her life to reducing youth suicide. http://news.voicesdivine.com/334/710-ridvan_message_uk/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/334/710-ridvan_message_uk/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:19:15 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=334 http://news.voicesdivine.com/334/710-ridvan_message_uk/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://news.bahai.org/multimedia/slideshow.php?storyid=710" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell reads the message from Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Ridvan reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahais on 22 April." src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090424-BWNS-710-Ridvan_message_UK-150.jpg" alt="Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell reads the message from Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Ridvan reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahais on 22 April." width="150" height="95" /></a></p> <p>2009 April 24, <a title="London, UK, on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=51.480528,-0.177155&spn=0.751769,2.114868&t=k&z=10" target="_blank">LONDON, UK</a> – British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has sent a message to UK Baha’is to mark Ridvan, the most important Bahá’í festival. In it he expressed his “respect and admiration” for the British Bahá’í community which, he said, “makes a contribution to British life out of all proportion to its size.”</p> <p>In the letter, which was addressed to the annual reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís, Mr. Brown welcomed the Bahá’ís’ “participation in public life” and described as “tragic” the prejudice and discrimination faced by some Bahá’ís in the world.<span id="more-334"></span></p> <p>His sentiments were echoed by leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, and the archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England, all of whom also sent messages to the reception.</p> <p>“The Bahá’í emphasis on equality, unity, social justice, and human rights does credit to your faith,” wrote David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party.</p> <p>Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, called Ridvan “a time to acknowledge and reflect on the valuable social and cultural contribution made by the thousands of Bahá’ís living in the UK.”</p> <p>“The Bahá’í community,” he said, “can be very proud of its active role in promoting religious tolerance, peace and unity across the world.”</p> <p>The prime minister’s message pointedly addressed the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran: “At the forefront of all of our minds this Ridvan is the fate of the seven Bahá’í leaders awaiting trial in Iran. We have raised our concerns with the Iranian government and I urge the authorities to ensure that these individuals receive a fair trial and ask them to put an end to discrimination against the wider Bahá’í community within Iran.”</p> <p>A message written on behalf of the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said he has “made clear to the Iranian authorities his profound disapproval of the way in which the leadership has been treated since their arrest and detention in harsh conditions and without charge last year. The charges now brought go against all the experience of Bahá’ís as peaceful people and loyal citizens of their countries.”</p> <p>The prime minister’s letter was read by Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell, who attended the reception along with 80 other guests, including leading figures from nongovernmental organizations and different religious communities. The event was held on the terrace of the House of Commons on 22 April.</p> <p>The 12-day Festival of Ridvan marks the anniversary of the announcement in 1863 by Baha’u'llah that He is God’s Messenger for this age, the latest in a line of divine [...] British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has sent a message to UK Baha'is to mark Ridvan, the most important Bahá'í festival, expressing "respect and admiration". John Iron 3:42 http://news.voicesdivine.com/329/709-buenos_aires_70_years/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/329/709-buenos_aires_70_years/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:09:37 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=329 http://news.voicesdivine.com/329/709-buenos_aires_70_years/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://news.bahai.org/multimedia/slideshow.php?storyid=709" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="The Spiritual Assembly of Buenos Aires was first elected in May 1940. This group, and that of Bahia, Brazil, were the first such assemblies in South America. (Photo courtesy of the Bahais of Buenos Aires)" src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090424-BWNS-709-buenos_aires_70_years-150.jpg" alt="The Spiritual Assembly of Buenos Aires was first elected in May 1940. This group, and that of Bahia, Brazil, were the first such assemblies in South America. (Photo courtesy of the Bahais of Buenos Aires)" width="150" height="109" /></a></p> <p>2009 April 24, <a title="Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Bahia, Brazil on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=-24.527135,-55.283203&spn=33.591483,67.675781&t=k&z=5" target="_blank">BUENOS AIRES, Argentina</a> -This week, for the 70th year, the Bahá’ís of Buenos Aires gathered to elect their local Spiritual Assembly – one of the two oldest of what are now 600 such Bahá’í governing councils throughout South America.</p> <p>A special program featuring historical photographs was presented at the annual meeting of the Buenos Aires’ Bahá’ís on April 20th, said Behrooz Khomassi, who has researched local Baha’i history and helped prepare the program.<span id="more-329"></span></p> <p>“The first assembly of Buenos Aires was elected on the 10th of May in 1940,” he said. Published documents from the period list Buenos Aires and Bahia, Brazil, as being the first two Bahá’í assemblies in South America.</p> <p>Both cities were visited in 1919 by the famed Bahá’í travel teacher Martha Root, known for her journeys around the world to present the Bahá’í message to royalty, government officials, civic leaders, newspaper editors, and the public at large.</p> <p>In 1940, another prominent Bahá’í, May Maxwell, also came to Buenos Aires, but she died within three days of her arrival on February 27th. Mr. Khomassi said her passing served as a catalyst for Bahá’í activity in the city – two months later its first Spiritual Assembly was formed.</p> <p>Worldwide, elections for local Bahá’í assemblies are held annually at the beginning of the Festival of Ridvan, which goes from April 21st to May 2nd and marks the anniversary of Bahá’u'lláh’s declaration in 1863 that He was a new messenger of God. There are thousands of localities around the globe that hold such elections.</p> <p>Also during Ridvan, virtually every national Bahá’í community holds a convention where delegates elect their National Spiritual Assembly. Some 180 such elections will be held this year.</p> <p>Assemblies at both the national and local level have nine members, and all Bahá’ís aged 21 or over who live in the jurisdiction are eligible for election.</p> <p>To see the original article and images at the Bahá’í World News service go to <a title="Original Article at Bahá'í World News Service" href="http://news.bahai.org/story/709" target="_blank">http://news.bahai.org/story/709</a></p> Share and Enjoy: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.voicesdivine.com%2F329%2F709-buenos_aires_70_years%2F&t=For%2070th%20Year%2C%20Buenos%20Aires%20Elects%20Assembly" title="Facebook"><img src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/plugins/sociable/images/facebook.png" [...] This is the 70th year the Buenos Aires Bahá'ís elect their Local Spiritual Assembly – one of the two oldest of the now 600 Bahá'í councils in South Americ John Iron 2:46 http://news.voicesdivine.com/320/bahais-and-rights-groups-ajmadinejad-must-address-discrimination/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/320/bahais-and-rights-groups-ajmadinejad-must-address-discrimination/#comments Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:29:03 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=320 http://news.voicesdivine.com/320/bahais-and-rights-groups-ajmadinejad-must-address-discrimination/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/index.shtml" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="United against Racism: Dignity and Justice for All. Durban Review Conference 2009" src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090419-BWNS-708-Durban-II-Statement-150.jpg" alt="United against Racism: Dignity and Justice for All. Durban Review Conference 2009" width="150" height="102" /></a></p> <p>2009 April 19, <a title="GENEVA, Switzerland on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6&ll=46.230916,6.129684&spn=0.100935,0.264359&t=k&z=13" target="_blank">GENEVA, Switzerland</a> – <a title="The website of the Bahá'í International Community United Nations Office" href="http://bic.org/" target="_blank">The Bahá’í International Community</a> joined two human rights organizations in calling on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to address discrimination in his own country when he speaks this week at the conference known as Durban II.</p> <p>The statement was issued as a joint news release by <a title="The website of the Bahá'í International Community United Nations Office" href="http://bic.org/" target="_blank">the Bahá’í International Community</a>, the Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LDDHI), and <a title="The website of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)" href="http://www.fidh.org/" target="_blank">the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)</a>.<span id="more-320"></span></p> <p>In addition to calling on the Iranian president to address discrimination against ethnic minorities, women, and religious minorities, the three organizations also ask him to redress the problem of incitement to hatred.</p> <p><em>“Of particular concern is the manner in which the government-controlled news media has vilified adherents of the Baha’i Faith,”</em> the statement said, citing the hundreds of articles, radio and television programs, Internet postings, and pamphlets containing hate speech that have been disseminated in Iran in recent years.</p> <p><a title="The website of the Durban Review Conference 2009" href="http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/index.shtml" target="_blank">The Durban Review Conference</a> is being held under the auspices of the <a title="The website of the United Nations Organization" href="http://www.un.org" target="_blank">United Nations</a>. The purpose is to evaluate progress towards the goals set by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.</p> <p>The following is the <a title="PDF Document of the original news release." href="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090419-BWNS-708-Durban-II-Statement.pdf" target="_blank">news release issued by the three organizations</a>:</p> <p><a title="The website of the Bahá'í Internation Community United Nations Office" href="http://bic.org" target="_blank">Bahá’í Internation Community United Nations Office<br /> </a>Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LDDHI)<br /> <a title="The website of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)" href="http://www.fidh.org/" target="_blank">International Federation for Human Rights [...] The Bahá'í International Community and two human rights organizations in call on Iranian President Ahmadinejad to address discrimination in his own country. John Iron 6:45 http://news.voicesdivine.com/314/egypt-officially-changes-rules-for-id-cards/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/314/egypt-officially-changes-rules-for-id-cards/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:19:09 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=314 http://news.voicesdivine.com/314/egypt-officially-changes-rules-for-id-cards/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanszinsli/2444822869/" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="Egyptian flag by Hans Zinsli " src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090417-BWNS-707-Egypt-ID-Cards-150.jpg" alt="Egyptian flag by Hans Zinsli " width="150" height="111" /></a></p> <p>2009 April 17, <a title="CAIRO, Egypt on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&ll=30.057506,31.227264&spn=0.235346,0.273972&z=12&msid=107001268033865952759.000467d7fa436430d35d6" target="_blank">CAIRO, Egypt</a> – Egypt’s Ministry of Interior this week published a decree that allows individuals to obtain government documents without identifying themselves as belonging to a particular religion.</p> <p>The decree is the result of a recent Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court ruling – in a case involving Bahá’ís – that on government ID cards and other documents, individuals may put a dash in the field denoting religious affiliation.<span id="more-314"></span></p> <p>“We are very pleased that the Egyptian government has moved to officially change the regulation that prevented Bahá’ís and others from realizing their rights of citizenship,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations.</p> <p>The computerization of ID cards introduced by the government had locked out all religious classifications except Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.  This had meant that Bahá’ís were unable to get documents essential to day-to-day life.</p> <p>The decree was signed by General Habib al-Adly, Egypt’s Interior Minister, and dated 19 March 2009, and was published on 14 April in the official gazette.  According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represented Bahá’ís in many of the recent court cases concerning religious affiliation on government documents, the decree amends the Implementing Statutes of Egypt’s Civil Status Law of 1994.  It specifically instructs officials to place a dash (–) before the line reserved for religion in the official documents of citizens who can show that they, or their ancestors, were followers of a religious belief other than the three recognized by the state.</p> <p>To see the original article at the <a title="Bahá'í World News Service web site" href="http://news.bahai.org" target="_blank">Bahá’í World News Service</a> go to <a title="BWNS - Egypt Officially Changes Rules for ID Cards" href="http://news.bahai.org/story/707" target="_blank">http://news.bahai.org/story/707.</a></p> <p><a title=""Egyptian flag" by Hans Zinsli" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanszinsli/2444822869/" target="_blank">Photo by Hans Zinsli</a><br /> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en" target="_blank"><img title="Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic" src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/cc/cc-by-nc-nd-80x15.png" alt="Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic" width="80" height="15" /></a></p> Share and Enjoy: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.voicesdivine.com%2F314%2Fegypt-officially-changes-rules-for-id-cards%2F&t=Egypt%20Officially%20Changes%20Rules%20for%20ID%20Cards" title="Facebook"><img [...] Egypt's Ministry of Interior has published a decree allowing individuals to obtain government documents without identifying their religious affiliation. http://news.voicesdivine.com/289/canadas-parliament-condemns-persecution-of-bahais-in-iran/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/289/canadas-parliament-condemns-persecution-of-bahais-in-iran/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:19:19 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=289 http://news.voicesdivine.com/289/canadas-parliament-condemns-persecution-of-bahais-in-iran/feed/ 0 <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfleming/553914823/" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title=""Tulip Festival at the Canadian Parliament" by Jeff Fleming" src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090402-BWNS-706-Canadian-Parliament-150.jpg" alt="The Canadian Parliament Building - Photo courtesy of The Sassafrassquatch at Flickr.com" width="150" height="188" /></a></p> <p>2009 April 2, <a title="OTTOWA, Canada, The Canadian House of Commons on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.424442,-75.699277&spn=0.004925,0.011373&t=h&z=17" target="_blank">OTTAWA, Canada</a> – Canada’s House of Commons has unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and calling on the Iranian government to release Bahá’í leaders imprisoned in Tehran.</p> <p>The motion, which was approved on 30 March, stated that the accusations against the Bahá’ís – espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, and propaganda against the Islamic republic – are charges “frequently used by Iranian authorities to target human rights defenders and religious minorities, and there is nothing in the history or teachings of the Bahá’í community to lend any credence to such charges.”<span id="more-289"></span></p> <p>The motion was addressed in a debate on the floor of the House of Commons which lasted some 90 minutes. Members of Parliament from all four of Canada’s political parties spoke of the long history of persecution suffered by Iran’s Bahá’ís and the current “campaign of hatred and incitement” against the Bahá’í community there, noting that these current attacks “constitute a number of warning signs that often foreshadow widespread ethnic, racial or religious cleansing.”</p> <p>Decrying the “persistent and pervasive” violation of the human rights not only of Iran’s Bahá’í but of all Iranian citizens who have suffered repression at the hands of extremist elements in that country, members of Parliament also expressed deep admiration for Iran’s people and “the enormous contribution” that Iran’s “great civilization” has made to humankind.</p> <p>The resolution concludes:</p> <p>“Therefore, be it resolved that this House condemns the ongoing persecution of the Bahá’í minority of Iran and calls upon the government of Iran to reconsider its charges against the members of the Friends in Iran, and release them immediately or failing this, that it proceed to trial without further delay, ensuring that the proceedings are open and fair and are conducted in the presence of international observers.”</p> <p>Seven of the Bahá’ís imprisoned in Tehran had comprised an ad hoc group called the “Friends in Iran” that tended to the minimum needs of the 300,000-member Bahá’í community in Iran.</p> <p>The seven were rounded up a year ago and have been detained ever since, without access to legal counsel. Accusations against them were only recently announced, but no hearing or trial has yet been held. More than 30 Bahá’ís are currently jailed in Iran because of their religion.</p> <p>The following is the wording of the full motion adopted by the Canadian House of Commons:</p> <p>“Whereas, the House of Commons recognizes that on 14 May 2008, six members of an informal group known as the Friends in Iran tommunity in Iran were arrested and taken to the political prisoners section of Evin prison in Tehran, where the seventh member was already being held, following her arrest in Mashhad in March 2008.</p> <p>“And whereas, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in [...] Canada's House of Commons unanimously adopted a strongly worded motion condemning the persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran and calling for release of Bahá'í leaders. John Iron 6:33 http://news.voicesdivine.com/242/web-site-offers-information-for-visiting-bahai-gardens-shrines/ http://news.voicesdivine.com/242/web-site-offers-information-for-visiting-bahai-gardens-shrines/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:19:28 +0000 Hans http://news.voicesdivine.com/?p=242 http://news.voicesdivine.com/242/web-site-offers-information-for-visiting-bahai-gardens-shrines/feed/ 0 <p><a title="The home page of the new Web site "The Baha'i Gardens." The site offers complete versions in English and Hebrew, with Arabic also planned." href="http://www.ganbahai.org.il" target="_blank"><img class="alignright" title="The home page of the new Web site The Bahai Gardens. The site offers complete versions in English and Hebrew, with Arabic also planned." src="http://news.voicesdivine.com/wp-content/uploads/news/20090319-BWNS-705-150.jpg" alt="The home page of the new Web site The Bahai Gardens. The site offers complete versions in English and Hebrew, with Arabic also planned." width="150" height="173" /></a></p> <p>2009 March 19, <a title="Google Map of the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa, Israel" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=2&ll=32.813346,34.986874&spn=0.008575,0.016522&t=h&z=17" target="_blank">HAIFA, Israel</a> – A new Web site with information for visiting the Bahá’í shrines and gardens in <a title="The Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa, Israel on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=2&ll=32.813346,34.986874&spn=0.008575,0.016522&t=h&z=17" target="_blank">Haifa</a> and <a title="The Bahá'í Gardens in Acre, Israel on Google Maps" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=2&t=h&ll=32.944041,35.092328&spn=0.008562,0.016522&z=17" target="_blank">Acre</a> was introduced today by the Bahá’í International Community.</p> <p>The Web site gives details about tours, hours, and the gardens themselves, as well as information about visiting the Shrine of Bahá’u'lláh in Acre and the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa. The shrines are the resting places of the founders of the Bahá’í Faith.<span id="more-242"></span></p> <p>Letting people know what to expect when they visit the properties is a major aim of the Web site, said Albert Lincoln, secretary general of the Bahá’í International Community. The site gives maps and suggestions for visitors, answers frequently asked questions, and also notes when people might find the gardens closed, such as on Bahá’í holy days.</p> <p>The launch of the Web site – called “The Bahá’í Gardens” – coincides with an expanded array of public tours.</p> <p>Half a million people come to the properties each year, making them among the most visited sites in the eastern Mediterranean region. Last year the shrines and gardens were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list as having “outstanding universal value” for humanity.</p> <p>A major impetus for creating the Web site was to make visitor information available in the local languages, Mr. Lincoln said. In addition to English, the site already offers Hebrew, and Arabic will be added as soon as possible. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel.</p> <p>Public tours have changed in that people may check the Web site for the hours of the main “Panorama Tour” and the languages in which it is offered. Reservations are no longer required.</p> <p>More specialized tours are available for groups, depending on their interests. Such tours must be arranged ahead of time.</p> <p>“Organized groups often want a more in-depth experience,” Mr. Lincoln said. “They want to learn more, in addition to visiting the gardens.”</p> <p>Besides providing practical details for visitors, the new Web site includes information about the Bahá’í Faith and also such resource material as extracts from an architectural study of the Bahá’í properties in Acre and [...] A new Web site with information for visiting the Bahá'í shrines and gardens in Haifa and Acre was introduced today by the Bahá'í International Community.