2017

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

2017 was a common year of the Gregorian calendar, the 2017th year of the Common Era (CE), the 17th year of the 21st century, and the 8th year of the 2010s decade. 2017 corresponds to the years 173–174 of the Bahá'í Era (BE) according to the Badi calendar.

Events

The first group of visitors to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia.

• January: Construction begins on the local House of Worship for Norte del Cauca, Colombia.
• June 18: The design for the local House of Worship for Tanna, Vanuatu is unveiled.
• August: A new Pilgrim Reception Centre opens at the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa, allowing several hundred pilgrims to visit the Baha’i World Centre at the same time.
• September 1: Dedication of the first local Bahá’í House of Worship, located in Battambang, Cambodia.
• September 14: A new edition of the informational publication The Bahá'ís is released.
• October 18: Release of the film Light to the World, a documentary about Bahá'u'lláh.
• October 19: The Palladio Museum in Vicenza, Italy opens a month-long exhibition featuring several of the most iconic buildings of the Bahá’í Faith, which were built with Italian marble.

Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh

Main article: Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh

Many events were held throughout the world during 2017 to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh.

• October 30: The Parliament of the Canadian province of Ontario marks the bicentenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s birth.
• November 6: The British Museum in London opens an exhibition showing the original handwriting of Bahá’u’lláh, as well as other archival items associated with His life, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of His birth.
• November 27: Canadian Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, and others from civil society join representatives of the Bahá’í community for a reception to honour the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
• November 30: A special Solemn Session of Brazil's Congress is held in honour of the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, bringing together over 350 people from 20 of Brazil’s 27 states, including representatives of two major indigenous groups, as well as ten members of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies.
• November 30: The Bahá’ís of Baghdad celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh in a ceremony attended by representatives from the Iraqi parliament, the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, and civil society.

Persecution of Bahá’ís

Main article: Persecution

In Iran

• September–December: Three members of the Friends in Iran, an ad-hoc group of Bahá'í leaders in Iran, are released after ten years of unjust imprisonment, including Mahvash Sabet (released in September), Fariba Kamalabadi (October), and Behrouz Tavakkoli (December).
• December 19: For the 30th time, the General Assembly of the United Nations calls on Iran to end ongoing violations of human rights, including its persecution of members of the Bahá’í Faith.

In Yemen

• April: Houthi authorities call for the arrest of over 25 Bahá’ís under accusations such as showing kindness and displaying rectitude of conduct in order to attract people to their Faith. Reports indicate that many individuals on the arrest list are prominent members of the Bahá’í community, who assist with the organization of the community’s affairs.
• May: Five Bahá’ís in Sana’a and Hudaydah are arrested and arbitrarily detained by Houthi security forces, including a notable Yemeni tribal leader, Walid Ayyash.
• May 22: Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, highlights the resemblance of recent persecution of Bahá’ís in Yemen to that of the Bahá’ís in Iran, stating: “The recent escalation in the persistent pattern of persecution of the Bahá’í community in Sana’a mirrors the persecution suffered by the Bahá’ís living in Iran.”
• October 22: Yemeni security forces raid a Baha’i gathering in Sana’a, opening fire on the small group of people assembled to commemorate the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

Deaths

• January 27: Fred Schechter, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for French Somaliland and Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre.
• May 27: Firuz Kazemzadeh, long serving member and Chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
• August 16: Annamarie Honnold, Bahá'í author and representative to the United Nations.
• September 21: Ted Anderson, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for Yukon Territory and Auxiliary Board member for Alaska.
• December 17: Hartmut Grossmann, member of the Universal House of Justice from 2003 to 2008.

Publications

Authoritative Writings & Guidance

• Framework for Action: Selected Messages of the Universal House of Justice and Supplementary Material, 2006-2016

Compilations

• Days of Remembrance: Selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh for Bahá’í Holy Days compiled by Bahá’í World Centre.
• Around the World We Pray: Illustrated Bahá’í Prayers and Readings for Children compiled by Alhan Irwin.
• Selections for Memorial Meetings compiled by Hushidar Motlagh.

Books

• The Calling: Tahirih of Persia and Her American Contemporaries by Hussein Ahdieh and Hillary Chapman.
• The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness by Robert Atkinson.
• The Bahá’ís: Contributing to an Emerging Global Civilization by Bahá’í World Centre.
• The Remover of Difficulties: Reflections on the Prayer of the Báb by Enrico Ballerio.
• The Life of Bahá’u’lláh: A Treasury of Stories from Brilliant Star published by Brilliant Star Magazine.
• Sole Desire Serve Cause: An Odyssey of Bahá’í Service, Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown.
• Soaring in the Heaven of God's Love by Ted Brownstein.
• Celebrating Ayyám-i-Há Around the World by Melissa Lopez Charepoo.
• The Life of Bahá’u’lláh by Melissa Lopez Charepoo.
• The Divine Plan: Integrative & Disintegrative Forces in Society by Michael Cohen.
• Expectations of Happiness by James D. Connolly.
• The Halls of Certitude by James D. Connolly.
• Journey to a Mountain, The Story of the Shrine of the Báb: Volume 1, 1850-1921 by Michael Day.
• The Repository of Mysteries: The Epic Mystical Poem of Junun by Jinab-i-Mirza Faraj’u’llah Fanaian, translated by Jamshid Fanaian.
• Treading the Mystic Path in Search of the Beloved by Jamshid Fanaian.
• Blessed is the Spot photographs by Bashir Gabriel.
• The Herald and His Heroes: Stories About the Báb by Hitjo Garst.
• Materialism: Moral and Social Consequences by Abdul Missagh Ghadirian.
• Mirza Mihdi: The Purest Branch by Boris Handal.
• Transformed: How to Make Decisions That Change Your Life by Bill and Jean Harley.
• Praise the King of Glory by Duane L. Herrmann.
• The Story of the Báb as a Child by Will van den Hoonard and Gloria Savoie.
• The Five Year Plan, 2011-2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning by International Teaching Center.
• Living With an Alcoholic: My Story of Healing and the Bahá’í Faith by Joyce B. Lakewood.
• Kukuh, Bijak and the Durian Dealer by Kim M. Lee.
• Fellowship Farm, Volume 5 by Melanie Lotfali.
• A Treasure House of Mysteries by Dariush Maani.
• Remember the Rainbow by Jacqueline Mehrabi.
• The Greatest Lesson in History by Hushidar Motlagh.
• I Shall Come Like a Thief by Hushidar Motlagh.
• The Story of David and Esther Tanyi: Adam and Eve of the Bahá’í Faith in Cameroon by Enoch Tanyi Nyenti.
• Personal Path, Practical Feet by Jaellayna Palmer.
• Morteza and the Noble Aristocrats by Kamal Khalessi-Rad.
• The Apostle of Peace, Volume One: 1871-1912 by Earl Redman.
• The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh by Earl Redman.

Albums

• Love and Unity: Light of Radiance and Glory by Rosamond Brenner.
• Serenades & Odes to a Cracked World: Part I by Jody Cooper.
• Les Paroles Cachées by Lucie Dubé.
• One Step Away by Tom Francis.
• Fire and Light by Peter Held.
• Wizdome by Colby Jeffers.
• Cantad, Oh Pueblos by Tommy Kavelin.
• Better Than Brand-New by Martin Kerr.
• Zuhur II by Vanda Mary Khadem.
• Remember My Days by Corinne Padilla McLoughlin.
• The Ancient Beauty by Elika Mahony.
• Carmel by Louie Shelton.
• Year of the Nightingale by Luke Slott.
• Crucible of Love by Badi Yazdi.
• Rejoice: Songs in Honor of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh by Ramine Yazhari.

Videos

• Light to the World released by the Bahá’í World Center.
• Mercy's Blessing released by Mayflower Creations.

References

• 2017 Publications at BahaiBooks.com.au