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2009 April 17, CAIRO, Egypt – 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.

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. (more…)

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2009 April 2, OTTAWA, Canada – 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.

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.” (more…)

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2009 March 19, HAIFA, Israel – 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.

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. (more…)

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2009 March 18, HAIFA, Israel – On March 21, Bahá’ís around the world will mark Naw-Ruz – their new year – a date that this year coincides with the 100th anniversary of the interment of the remains of the Báb on Mount Carmel.

On Naw-Ruz in 1909, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, then the head of the Bahá’í Faith, laid to rest the mortal remains of the Báb. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá personally placed the precious trust in its place in a building he had had constructed on Mount Carmel in Haifa. (more…)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – In Mexico, the prayers were in Spanish, Mayan and Nahuatl. Across North America, in Toronto, they were in English, French, and the Northern Tutchone language.

But the spirit was the same – members of the Baha’i Faith coming together in regional conferences to celebrate past achievements and to plan for upcoming activities. (more…)

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HAIFA, Israel – Work has begun on a four-year restoration project on the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, one of the holiest sites in the Bahá’í world and Haifa’s best-known landmark.

The Shrine of the Báb stands at the center of the Bahá’í gardens, on the side of Mount Carmel overlooking Haifa Bay and the Mediterranean Sea. The gardens and shrine are among the most visited sites in Israel.
(more…)