2016

Centuries:	20th century 21st century 22nd century
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Categories:	Births - Deaths - Declarations Establishments - Publications
Media:	2016 (Events)

2016 was a leap year of the Gregorian calendar, the 2016th year of the Common Era (CE), the 16th year of the 21st century, and the 7th year of the 2010s decade. 2016 corresponds to the years 172–173 of the Bahá'í Era (BE) according to the Badi calendar.

Divine Plan

• The Universal House of Justice launches the Five Year Plan (2016–2021).
• October 13: The Baha'i House of Worship in Santiago, Chile, the last remaining continental House of Worship, is dedicated.

Events

• May 22: Ground is broken for the construction of the local Bahá'í House of Worship for Norte del Cauca, Colombia.
• September 25: The Bahá’í community of Colombia releases an open letter appealing to all Colombians to seize an “historic opportunity” for peace, in advance of the signing of a deal for peace between government and revolutionary forces.
• December 25: The Bahá’í International Community presents a statement, New Patterns of Community Life in an Urbanizing World, at the Habitat III conference organized by the United Nations in Quito, Ecuador.
• December 25: The Bahá’í International Community participates in the International Seerat Conference in Lahore, Pakistan, an event organized by the government of Pakistan to promote interfaith harmony.

Persecution of Bahá’ís

Main article: Persecution

In Iran

• May 13: Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, daughter of former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani, meets with Fariba Kamalabadi, a member of the Friends in Iran, while the latter was on furlough from prison. Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was also present at the meeting. Hashemi and Kamalabadi were once imprisoned together in the same cell in Iran's notorious Evin Prison.
• May 29: A group of twelve Bangladeshi lawyers sign an open letter calling for an end to the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.
• September 6: The Bahá’í International Community calls on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to end the severe economic oppression imposed on the Bahá’ís in Iran.
• November 1–2: Over one hundred Bahá’í-owned businesses in cities across Iran, including Sari, Ghaemshahr, and Bandar Abbas, are sealed by authorities after closing temporarily to observe Bahá’í Holy days.

In Yemen

• August 10: Armed, masked soldiers raid an educational gathering on the theme of moral empowerment and service organized jointly by the Nida Foundation for Development and the Baha'i community of Yemen. More than sixty participants are arrested, among them youth and children.

Deaths

• April 25: Joy Stevenson, Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre.
• May 7: Jenabe Caldwell, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh named for pioneering to the Aleutian Islands.
• September 26: Farhang Amiri, Baha'i driver and farmer, murdered outside his home in Yazd, Iran. His assailants confessed to the murder, stating that they killed Mr. Amiri because he was a Baha'i.

Publications

Books

• The Bahá’í Response to the Crisis of Our Time by Bryan Blakeny and Joan Hernandez.
• Light of the Kingdom: Biblical Topics in the Bahá’í Writings by Joann Borovicka.
• The First Gift by Judith A. Cobb, illustrated by Wendy Cowper-Thomas.
• Alzheimer's Disease: An Eclipse Before Sunset by Abdul Missagh Ghadirian.
• Hands of the Cause of God: Volume 2 by Vered Ehsani and Elika and Tarrant Mahony.
• Road Trip Home: A Bahá'í Vision of Hope by Steven E. Ellis.
• Stories from the Cradle of the Faith by William Grohe and Jamshid Afnan.
• Now That I'm Here, What Should I Be Doing? by Bill and Jean Harley.
• Ichnographical: 173 new poems, by Duane L. Herrmann
• Growing Great Kids: Character Education in Early Childhood Settings by Di James, illustrated by Carl Hyland.
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in France: 1911 & 1913 by Jan Jasion.
• Call to Apostleship by Janet Khan.
• The Dynamics of Growth: Scientific Principles at Work in the Worldwide Advancement of the Bahá'í Faith by Jena Khadem Khodadad.
• A Love That Could Not Wait: The Remarkable Story of Knights of Bahá’u’lláh Catherine Heward Huxtable and Clifford Huxtable by Jack McLean.
• Bahá’u’lláh: The One Promised in All Scriptures by Hushidar Motlagh.
• Sweet One by Jessica Murphy, illustrated by Betty Chong-Gerbracht.
• Twelve Steps & the Bahá’í Faith: One Member's Perspective by Justice St. Rain.
• Shoghi Effendi Through the Pilgrim's Eye, Volume 2: The Ten Year Crusade, 1953-1963 by Earl Redman.
• Companions of the Crimson Ark by Shirin Sabri, illustrated by Sue Podger.
• From Jewish to Bahá’í by John Warner.

Albums

• The Conference of the Birds by Randy Armstrong.
• The PianoArc Scores by John Ebata.
• Deliver Me by Tara Ellis.
• The Unquenchable Flame: A Musical Drama by Gina & Russell Garcia.
• Reign of Love: Homage to Rumi by Fathieh Honari & Vashaan Ensemble.
• Cantad, Oh Pueblos by Tommy Kavelin.
• Blessed by Klare KuOlga.
• Dunes by Genevieve Labbe.
• With the Hands of Power by Matthew Levine.
• Gift for the Soul by The Licata Brothers.
• Whither Shall I Turn by Bonnie Lisbeth.
• Beyond the Moment by John Luckey.
• Meditations for the Fast by Elika Mahony.
• 7 Valleys by Paloma Marin.
• The Education of Henry Halifax by Mimi McClellan.
• Open the Door to Your Heart by Jacqueline Odess-Gillett.
• The Master: Stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for Children by Sarah Perceval.
• The Vibe by Karim Rushdy.
• Daughters of the Kingdom by Shadi Toloui-Wallace.

Videos

• Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem directed by Ramin Khadem.
• First Native Bahá’í Council Fire, Pine Springs, Arizona 1962 released by Olinga Productions.
• The Bahá’ís released by Westwind Pictures.

References

• 2016 Publications at BahaiBooks.com.au