The Baha'i Faith is an independent world religion with adherents in virtually every country. The Baha'i world community includes almost all nationalities, classes, trades and professions. Its membership of over 5 million is comprised of people living in more than 118,000 localities in over 200 countries and territories - 166 of these independent nations - and unites men and women of various religious and ethnic origins. More than 2,000 ethnic groups and tribes are represented.
BAHA'I WRITINGS
The writings that guide the life of the Baha'i community include numerous works by Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, and interpretations by His son, Abdu'l-Baha, and Baha'u'llah's great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi. Baha'i literature can be read today in over 800 languages and dialects.
BAHA'I PRINCIPLES
The central principles of the Baha'i Faith are the oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of mankind. Baha'u'llah taught that divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process and that the missions of the messengers of God represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. Baha'is believe that humanity is one family created by God. The Baha'i community promotes the unity of mankind and the establishment of peace in the world. The teachings of the Baha'i Faith provide solutions to problems which have been barriers to the achievement of unity and peace.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BAHA'I COMMUNITY
There is no clergy in the Baha'i Faith. Local meetings are planned by the local Baha'i communities. Baha'i meetings include devotional services, study classes, discussions, social events, and the observation of holy days.
Baha'i religious and community activities are planned according to the Baha'i calendar. The Baha'i Faith began in 1844 and each new calendar year begins on the vernal equinox. The Baha'i year includes nine holy days and a period of fasting near the end of the year. The purpose of human life for Baha'is is to know and to worship God, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. Baha'is have, for over one hundred years, striven to bring about the unity of mankind, world peace, and world order. To achieve these goals the Baha'i teachings encourage:
BAHA'I LAWS
Besides spiritual laws requiring daily prayer and an annual period of fasting, the Baha'i Faith has social laws. It prescribes monogamy and upholds the importance of chastity. Marriage is conditional upon the consent of both parties and their parents. Divorce is discouraged in the Baha'i community and Baha'i law requires a year of trial separation, after which, if differences cannot be resolved, divorce is permissible. Baha'i law also prohibits the use of alcoholic drinks and narcotics.
NON-PARTISAN CHARACTER
The Baha'i Faith is not aligned with any government or political party. While they may accept non-partisan government posts and appointments, Baha'is may not be members of any political faction or ideology. Baha'is, both individually and collectively, are enjoined to obey the laws of their respective states and the authority of the legally constituted governments under which they live. Without regard for political affiliation, Baha'is may vote in general elections and participate in the ordinary civic life of their community. The institutions and programs of the Baha'i Faith are supported exclusively by voluntary contributions from its own members.
BAHA'I ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
Free from any form of ecclesiasticism, having neither priesthood nor manmade ritual, and forbidding asceticism, monasticism, and mendicancy, the Baha'i Faith relies on a pattern of local, national, and international administration, created by Baha'u'llah, elaborated by Abdu'l-Baha, and implemented by Shoghi Effendi. There are currently approximately 20,000 local assemblies and over 145 National Assemblies throughout the world.
The affairs of the local Baha'i community are administered by a nine-member local Spiritual Assembly elected annually. Nationally, a nine-member body is elected each year by delegates who have in turn been elected by Baha'is at the local level. The international governing body, the Universal House of Justice, is elected once every five years in Haifa, Israel at an international convention attended by members of the national assemblies. All Baha'i elections are by secret ballot, with no nominations or electioneering.
In administering the affairs of the community, the institutions of the Baha'i Faith practice a form of consultation that involves full and frank discussion of issues under consideration. Matters are discussed with a desire to ascertain the facts and to come to a decision that is based on spiritual principles and is unencumbered by personal attachment to points of view. The Baha'i writings state: "The shining spark of truth comes forth only after the clash of differing opinions." While the goal of consultation is unanimous agreement upon a course of action, when unanimity cannot be reached, a vote is taken, and the decision of the majority prevails.
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
The central position of prayer and meditation in Baha'i individual and community life places emphasis on houses of worship in villages, towns, and cities. At present, Houses of Worship exist in Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.; Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany; Kampala, Uganda; Sydney, Australia; Panama City, Panama; New Delhi, India; and Apia, Western Samoa. Services of worship consist of the recitation of Baha'i scriptures and scriptures of the other divinely revealed religions and "a capella" music is also allowed. Eventually, each locality will have its own house of worship, which will serve as the point around which the scientific, educational, humanitarian, and administrative institutions of the Baha'i community revolve. Many local Baha'i communities currently own properties used for activities.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Baha'i communities throughout the world are involved in social and economic development activities that serve the needs of local populations.
National Spiritual Assemblies currently manage over 900 development projects. The majority of the projects are the result of grassroots efforts operating with little or no outside support.
Activities in health and social services, communications, agriculture and forestry, and community development encourage work in the spirit of service to mankind. The emphasis in Baha'i teachings on the necessity of universal education has inspired the establishment of learning centers which include tutorial schools in fifteen African countries and more than 300 training schools and centers in Asia.
Social and economic development projects world-wide also include medical centers, programs for women, cooperative savings programs, building renovation, arts and theater groups, communal farms and cooperative fishing projects, homes for refugees and for the aged, and computer education to assist low income families.
Seven educational radio stations currently operate in Liberia, Panama, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and the United States, to serve the local populations. Programs in native languages offer advice on health care, crop management, animal husbandry, and child development.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE UNITED NATIONS
The Baha'i International Community has accredited consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). It is also affiliated with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and, since 1948, with the UN Office of Public Information. It has representatives with the United Nations in New York, Geneva, and Nairobi. Local Baha'i communities are encouraged to support the UN's various humanitarian projects. The Baha'i International Community participates in meetings of UN agencies concerned with human rights, social development, the status of women, the environment, human settlement, food, science and technology, population, the law of the sea, crime prevention, substance abuse, youth, children, the family, disarmament, and the United Nations University.
BAHA'I HISTORY
The Baha'i Faith was founded in Persia (Iran) by Mirza Husayn-Ali (1817-1892), known as Baha'u'llah, the "Glory of God". The word "Baha'i" derives from baha ("glory" or "splendor") and means a follower of Baha'u'llah. The Baha'i Faith is linked with the Babi Faith, founded in 1844 by Mirza Ali-Muhammad (1819-1850), known as the Bab or "Gate". The Bab announced that He was not only the founder of an independent religion, but the herald of a new and far greater prophet or messenger of God, Who would usher in an age of peace for all mankind. The Bab was executed by Persian authorities in 1850 in an attempt to crush His religion. In 1863, Baha'u'llah declared that He was the one prophesied by the Bab.
Baha'u'llah was exiled from Iran to various places within the Ottoman Empire, and in 1868 was sent as a prisoner to the fortress city of Akka in Palestine. He passed away in 1892. In His will, He appointed His eldest son, Abdu'l-Baha (1844-1921), to lead the Baha'i community and to interpret the Baha'i Writings. Abdu'l-Baha in turn appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi (1896-1957), as His successor, the Guardian of the Cause, and the authorized interpreter of the Baha'i teachings. Today the affairs of the world-wide Baha'i community are administered by the Universal House of Justice.
BAHA'I WORLD CENTER
The Baha'i World Center is in the Holy Land. From the time of Baha'u'llah's exile to Akka, the spiritual and administrative center of the Faith has been established in the two cities of Akka and Haifa. The Baha'i Holy Places in Israel consist of the Shrines of Baha'u'llah and The Bab and historic sites associated with Them. Baha'u'llah instructed that the World Center of His Faith should be in the vicinity of these Shrines. The Seat of the Universal House of Justice is located on Mt. Carmel in Haifa.
(U.S. Baha'i Office of Public Information)
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States is the administrative body for the Baha'is of the U.S. The Assembly has nine members. They are chosen by 171 delegates representing all the adult Baha'is of the continental U.S. There are approximately 1,700 local Spiritual Assemblies in the 48 contiguous states. Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico have their own National Spiritual Assemblies.
The Assembly directs, coordinates and stimulates the activities of individuals and local Spiritual Assemblies. It participates with other National Spiritual Assemblies in the election of the international governing body of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice, which is held in Haifa, Israel, every five years.
The headquarters of the National Assembly is in the vicinity of the Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois, where the Assembly maintains an administrative staff, supervises a publishing trust, and publishes several periodicals including a quarterly magazine, World Order, and a quarterly newsletter, US Baha'i Report.
The Assembly supports the proclamation of the Baha'i Faith throughout the world. Baha'i communities have been established in more than 200 countries, territories and islands; Baha'is now live in over 100,000 localities around the world. The Baha'is of the United States were among the first to carry the Faith to many lands.
The Assembly has an official representative accredited with the United Nations Department of Public Information and is a member of the Baha'i International Community which has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF). In addition, it has submitted comprehensive position papers to the U.N. on such topics as human rights, the environment, and the equality of men and women.
The Assembly directs the operations of three permanent schools in California, Maine and Michigan and supervises Baha'i studies at the Native American Baha'i Institute in Arizona and at 36 other locations across the nation. The first Baha'i school in the United States was founded in 1900.
The Assembly also operates the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Institute in South Carolina, which provides training for teachers and administrators of the Faith, primarily from the southern states. WLGI, an educationally licensed 50,000-watt Baha'i radio station, broadcasts from the same site.
The Assembly, in all of its deliberations, endeavors to reach decisions through "loving and frank consultation." In all of its efforts it strives to remain free from outside pressure and influence. Clear directives for its actions are contained in the sacred writings of the Baha'i Faith.
PRINCIPAL TENETS OF THE BAHA'I FAITH
The central teachings of the Baha'i Faith are based on the belief that religion is revealed by a succession of prophets inspired by one God. The pivotal social principle of the Faith is the oneness of mankind, implying: