2014

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Categories:	Births - Deaths - Declarations Establishments - Publications
Media:	2014 (Events)

2014 was a common year of the Gregorian calendar, the 2014th year of the Common Era (CE), the 14th year of the 21st century, and the 5th year of the 2010s decade. 2014 corresponds to the years 170–171 of the Bahá'í Era (BE) according to the Badi calendar.

Events

• A new, extensively retranslated edition of Some Answered Questions is published.
• June 6: At her request, the Universal House of Justice sends a message to Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, on the occasion of the 2014 World Cup of football.
• August 8: The official ban on the Bahá'í Faith in Indonesia is lifted.
• September 14: The design for the local House of Worship for Norte del Cauca, Colombia is unveiled.

Persecution of Bahá’ís

Main article: Persecution

In Egypt

• January 18: The Egyptian Constitution of 2014 takes effect after it is passed in a national referendum. While guaranteeing the ‘inviolable’ right of freedom of religion, the constitution extends this only to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, meaning that Bahá’is are still prohibited from many basic freedoms, such as practicing their religious laws and constructing places of worship. Though Bahá’í representatives lobbied during the constitutional drafting processes to expand religious freedoms to their community, this did not occur.
• December: A public workshop is held by the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments to warn of the dangers of the spread of the Bahá’i Faith in Egypt.

In Iran

• March: The Bahá'í cemetery in Ahvaz is closed and the alley leading to it is blocked by heavy cement blocks. No organization accepts responsibility for this action.
• March 13: Behrouz Tavakkoli, imprisoned in Rejai Shahr Prison, writes a letter to his first grandchild, who had just been born three days prior in Canada.
• April: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard begins excavation of some 200 square meters of the Bahá'í cemetery of Shiraz. The site, which had been in use since the 1920s, was confiscated by the government in 1983 and the Revolutionary Guard had taken ownership of the site some three years earlier with plans to build a cultural and sports centre. It is the site of the remains of the ten Bahá’ís of Shiraz who were hanged in 1983.
• May 1: The Bahá'í International Community discloses news that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have begun excavation in a historically important Baha'i cemetery in Shiraz. Some 950 Baha'is are buried in the cemetery, including Mona Mahmudnizhad and nine other Baha'i women who were hanged on 18 June 1983 because of their religion.
• May 7: The seven Bahá’í leaders imprisoned in Iran address a letter to Mohammad Javad Larijani, the head of the Human Rights Division of the Judiciary Branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran, regarding his claim that “No one is in prison for being a Bahá’í and if Bahá’ís do not commit illegal acts their citizenship rights will be protected”. In the letter, they reiterate some of the acts of oppression and discrimination, encounters with security forces, and human rights violations imposed on Bahá’í citizens, and ask officials to change their view toward citizens and minorities.
• May 8: Despite a worldwide outcry, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard continues to destroy the historic Bahá'í cemetery of Shiraz.
• September: Shadan Shirazi, an exemplary student who placed exceptionally well in college entrance exams administered to students throughout Iran, is barred from entering university because she is a Bahá’í. Her case reveals new tactics being used by Iran to block Bahá’ís from accessing higher education.
• October–December: The body of Bahá'í Shamel Bina of Ahvaz, Iran, is held in a morgue for two months due to local officials' refusal to allow his burial.
• November: Hojatoleslam Abbas Ramezani-Pour, the Friday prayer Imam of Rafsanjan, declares in a speech that, according to religious fatwas, Bahá’ís are "unclean" and that it is "forbidden" to conduct business and trade with them. Ramezani-Pour also called for Bahá’ís to be expelled from Rafsanjan.
• November: After her fourth request to join her daughter Taraneh for her wedding is denied, Fariba Kamalabadi writes her a letter from Evin Prison.
• November 10: PEN International highlights the imprisonment of Mahvash Sabet in advance of the Day of the Imprisoned Writer.

In Yemen

• September: Ilham Zara’i becomes the first to visit Hamed bin Haydara in prison, learning that he had been forced to sign several documents while blindfolded and been subjected to repeated torture, including being beaten and electrocuted.
• October: Hamed bin Haydara is transferred to the Central Prison under the jurisdiction of the Prosecution Service.

Births

• March 10: The first grandchild of Behrouz Tavakkoli, one of the seven Bahá'í leaders imprisoned in Iran, is born in Canada.

Deaths

• August 29: Donald Witzel, American Continental Counsellor and long serving Venezuelan National Assembly member.
• October 28: Shamel Bina, a Bahá'í from Ahvaz, Iran, passes away. His body is held in the morgue for two months due to local officials' refusal to allow his burial.

Publications

Compilations

• The Reality of Man: Excerpts From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá compiled by Bahá'í Publishing.
• The Interfaith Prayer Book compiled by Ted Brownstein.
• Hyacinths of Knowledge and Wisdom compiled by Curt Creager.
• Pearls of Wisdom illustrated by Constanze von Kitzing.
• Essential Insights, 24 book series, compiled by Corinne Randall.

Books

• Christianity Renewed: Volume 4 by Maxwell Alexander.
• Laugh Together, Stay Together: 15 Ways to Lighten Up and Keep Connected by Susanne M. Alexander.
• Nurturing a Healthy Human Spirit in the Young by Vivian Bartlett.
• The Big Story: Challenging the Dichotomy of Evolution and Creation by Michael Cohen.
• Hands of the Cause of God: Volume 1 by Vered Ehsani and Elika and Tarrant Mahony.
• Pilgrim Notes: The Road to the Holy Land by Lorcan Flynn.
• Is Atheism a Theism? and Other Essays by Ronald Ford.
• Steadfastness in the Covenant: Responding to Tests and Tribulations by Abdu'l-Missagh Ghadirian.
• Journey of Sorrow, Journey of Hope by Carol Handy.
• Ali's Dream by John S. Hatcher.
• A Daughter's Memoir of Growing Up Bahá’í by Diana Rose Kaufman.
• Prelude to the Guardianship by Riaz Khadem.
• Self Study Notes for the Seven Valleys of Bahá’u’lláh by Sohrab Kourosh.
• Dark Side of the Mood by Sheri Medford.
• The Beautiful Garden by Megan McMahon.
• Knowing My Inner Self: Applied Spirituality for Teenagers by Fazel Naghdy.
• Answers to Eight Questions Frequently Asked by Alí Nakhjavání.
• Religion and Relevance: The Bahá'ís in Britain, 1899-1930 by Lil Osborn.
• The Scribe's Promise by Jennifer Pollard.
• The Dawning Place of the Remembrance of God by Fariborz Sahba.
• Getting Old? Well, Maybe Just a Little! by Harlan Scheffler.
• The Basic Elements of the Bahá’í Faith by Joseph Roy Sheppherd.
• The Horse of the Moonlight by Irene Taafaki.
• Overcoming Difficulties by Ginny Tod.
• With Thine Own Eyes by Ronald Tomanio, Diane Iverson, and Phyllis Ring.
• From Atheist to Bahá'í: A Journey Through Suffering by Susan Walker.

Albums

• Celestial Mosaic by Bruno AR.
• Sacred Songs VIII by Bahá’í Choral Festival.
• Reggae Sauti Za Kiswahili by Brina.
• If We Could Only Catch a Glimpse by MJ Cyr.
• From Up There by Tom Francis.
• Circle of Light: Songs for Bucket Fillers by Red Grammer.
• Refrenergy by Devon Gundry.
• Anis: The Companion Soundtrack by Navid Hejazi.
• Post.Para: The Betterment by jeph.ilosopher.
• Pioneer Winds by Rebecca Johnston-Garvin.
• Lemon Soul Trio by Lemon Soul Trio.
• Infinite Bounty by Elika Mahony.
• The Divine Spark by Taraz Nosrat.
• Reach Out by Karim Rushdy.
• Arise by Mo Shref.
• Sea of Mystery by Sonbol Taefi.
• Waterways by Upperfields.

References

• GR publications listed in Jan Jasion's George Ronald: A Bibliographic History, accessed online April 30, 2019.
• 2014 Publications at BahaiBooks.com.au