Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh

As Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817, and the Báb in 1819, the bicentenary of their births falls during 2017 and 2019. The Universal House of Justice has made it clear that they expect that the Bahá'ís will publicly celebrate these events. The periodical "Reflections on Growth", edition number 37, is all about communities in various countries preparing for these celebrations, as is number 38.

Celebrations

A major purpose of any celebrations which are to be held will be to acquaint the public with the name of Bahá’u’lláh, and with what it means to mankind that Bahá’u’lláh has appeared. To that end, a large number of literary items are being developed. In the United States and in Canada there are websites which list available resources. Many of the celebrations were in the form of public events, to which local dignitaries may, or may not, have been invited. A useful source of information is to be found at [[1]].

Sources of materials

• Canada: [2]
• United States of America: [3] [4]
• United Kingdom: Warwick Bahá’í Bookshop [5]

Worldwide recognition

Throughout 2017, the bicentenary of Bahá’u’lláh's birth was marked by messages from and meetings with governments worldwide, many of which highlighted the great significance of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh and of His Revelation. The following is a list detailing interactions with officials around the world in honour of the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

National governments

Reddit has related posts about the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh:

• Moving tribute to Bahá'u'lláh by India’s President

• Australia: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wrote an uplifting tribute to the contributions of the Baha'is of Australia to their country, acknowledging the special bicentenary year.
• Bangladesh: Asaduzzaman Noor, Bangladesh’s Minister of Cultural Affairs, highlighted the “pivotal aim of the Baha’i Faith being unity and fellowship amongst the diversified races and peoples of the earth” stating that it “is a welcome principle in a world torn with strife and discord.”
• India: Two Indian Presidents addressed letters to the Bahá'ís of India highlighting the bicentenary: Both Pranab Mukherjee and his successor, Ram Nath Kovind, wrote tributes to Bahá’u’lláh, calling on all Indians to reflect on His life and vision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed a letter to the Bahá'ís of India expressing his best wishes, noting that Bahá'í institutions are "much revered" in India and that Indian Bahá'ís "have contributed significantly in all walks of life".
• Kazakhstan: Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs and Civil Society, Berik Aryn, addressed a letter to the Bahá'ís of Kazakhstan acknowledging the bicentenary, and highlighting the community's "spiritual service".
• Malaysia: Joseph Kurup, a Minister in the Department of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, addressed a message which noted that “The Baha’i community has been an active promoter of inter-faith dialogue and also a genuine protagonist of unity and harmony among the multi-ethnic and multi-religious population of this country...Baha’u’llah’s teachings on the oneness of the world of humanity and His call for a world embracing vision encapsulated in the phrase ‘the earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens’ are essential both for establishing national unity as well as promoting global understanding and peace.”
• Nepal: Messages from Deputy Prime Minister Gopal Man Shrestha and Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma were received by the Baha’i community, expressing warm greetings for the occasion of the bicentenary. “Baha’u’llah’s message that God is one and all human beings are members of the same family is always relevant in a country like ours where there is so much social, cultural, and religious diversity,” wrote Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha.
• New Zealand: Prime Minister Bill English addressed a message to the Baha'i community of New Zealand.
• Pakistan: Minister for Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf addressed a message to the Bahá'í Community of Pakistan expressing his best wishes, calling the work of the Bahá'ís of Pakistan "truly admirable". Subsequently, Member of Parliament Asiya Nasir hosted a gathering at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services in honor of the upcoming bicentenary, to which over 100 parliamentarians, diplomats, and religious leaders were invited.
• Romania: The Romanian Secretarului de Stat pentru Culte (Secretary of State for Religions), Victor Opaschi, issued a statement honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
• Singapore: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed a letter of greetings to the Bahá'ís of Singapore, highlighting Bahá’u’lláh's "teachings of unity and peace", and expressing gratitude for the Bahá'í community's commitment to inter-faith engagement.
• Sri Lanka: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesingh addressed a letter to the Bahá'ís of Sri Lanka in congratulations on the bicentenary, praising the community for its contributions to the country.
• Vietnam: Officials from the Vietnamese government visited with members of various Bahá'í institutions to offer congratulations on the bicentenary of Bahá’u’lláh's birth, including the National Spiritual Assembly and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Hanoi.

Regional and local governments

Argentina

• Santa Fe Province: A number of local and regional officials in the province of Santa Fe have sent video greetings to the Universal House of Justice and to the city of Haifa.
• Rosario: The City Council of Rosario passed a government resolution honoring the bicentenary anniversary and recognizing Haifa as its sister city. Other gestures have included a number of municipal and provincial decrees, radio interviews, a flag-raising celebration, and messages of greeting.

Austria

• Bruck an der Leitha: A festival for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh was organized by the office of the Mayor on 8 September 2017, with nearly 200 people in attendance. The gathering honoured Bahá’u’lláh's message of peace and unity, and included a number of musical performances.

Chile

• Santiago: Mayor Claudio Orrego accepted a gift of 2,000 trees from the Bahá'í community of Santiago, which will be planted throughout the city.

United States

• Albuquerque, New Mexico: Mayor Richard Berry issued a proclamation in honor of the bicentenary.
• Anchorage, Alaska: Mayor Ethan Berkowitz issued a proclamation for October 22 honoring the bicentenary.
• Cambridge, Massachusetts: On June 19, 2017, the city council passed a proclamation for October 21–22, 2017, honoring the birth of Bahá’u’lláh and urging its citizens to work for the realization of peace, justice, and solidarity.
• Charlotte, North Carolina: Mayor Jennifer Roberts issued a proclamation for October 21–22, 2017 honoring the bicentenary, and commending its observance to all citizens.
• Oceanside, California: Mayor Jim Wood issued a tribute honoring the bicentenary, urging all citizens to work for "the realization of the principles of peace, justice and human solidarity promoted by Bahá’u’lláh".
• Santa Fe, New Mexico: Mayor Javier Gonzales issued a proclamation honoring the bicentenary.
• Rio Rancho, New Mexico: Mayor Greggory Hull issued a proclamation in honor of the bicentenary.

See also

Bahai.media has a related page: Bicentenary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh

• Bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb, taking place in 2019

External links

• Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh