Baha'i World News Service

Initiatives to address poverty should give attention to strengthening the moral, ethical and spiritual capacities of individuals and communities. That was among the messages delivered by the Baha'i International Community and other non-governmental organizations at this year's United Nations Commission on Social Development. "Efforts to eradicate poverty must be guided by a vision of human...

Iran's seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders have been transferred to more brutal sections of their prison complex. In the case of the two Baha'i women, the circumstances of the move have raised concerns that it may have been orchestrated as a means of creating an insecure environment that threatens their lives. The Baha'i International Community has learned that one of them – Fariba...

At a ceremony to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Baha'i House of Worship here, Uganda's Chief Justice has praised the temple's continuing contribution to the unity of religion and social transformation. "It is a reminder of what is to be put in place for a better future," the Honorable Mr. Benjamin J. Odoki told some 1000 visitors who gathered in Kampala last Saturday for festivities...

A recent wave of arson attacks on Baha'i-owned businesses in Rafsanjan, Iran, appears to be part of a campaign to fracture relationships between Baha'is and Muslims in the city. After around a dozen attacks on shops - carried out since 25 October 2010 - some 20 Baha'i homes and businesses have been sent a warning letter addressed to "members of the misguided Bahaist sect." The anonymous...

Senior officers of the Baha'i Faith from around the globe have gathered at the Baha'i World Centre to discuss the future development of the worldwide community and its activities. The conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors commenced on 28 December. Plenary sessions – which ran until 1 January – are now being followed by further consultations among geographic groups. 79 of...

In a vote today, the United Nations once again strongly condemned Iran for failing to live up to international human rights standards. By a vote of 78 to 45, with 59 abstentions, the UN General Assembly confirmed a resolution that expressed “deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations.” In more than two decades of such resolutions about Iran, the vote passed with...

In an open letter to the head of Iran's Judiciary, the Baha'i International Community today contrasted the country's persecution of Baha'is with Iran's own call for Muslim minorities to be treated fairly in other countries. "We...request that the Baha'is in that country be granted their full rights of citizenship, in order that they may be able to fulfill their heartfelt aspiration to...

Excavation work is under way for the new Baha'i House of Worship for the South American continent, in the Chilean capital of Santiago. The ground work comes after a prolonged search for a site and unprecedented technical challenges, which included the invention of an entirely new material for the building's exterior. The site has now been set at a location in the hills of Peñalolén, a...

Despite compelling evidence that they never committed a crime, three Iranian Baha'is today begin their fourth year in captivity. The two women, Haleh Rouhi and Raha Sabet – and Mr. Sasan Taqva – were arrested in May 2006, along with some 51 other Baha'is and a number of Muslim friends, for their participation in an education program for underprivileged children in and around the city of...

A committee of the UN General Assembly today sharply criticized Iran for its continued and increasing violations of human rights. By a vote of 80 to 44, the Assembly's Third Committee approved a resolution that "expresses deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations" in Iran. There were 57 abstentions. The vote came after Iran attempted a "no-action motion," aimed at...

After more than three years of restoration and conservation work, a Baha'i sacred site is offering a glimpse into the industrial and spiritual heritage of this part of the Holy Land. From the Roman era into the early 20th century, mills on this site – some two kilometers southeast of the old city of Acre – produced the flour to feed the area's population. "This was a very significant...