FUNDamentals

We are being called to action.

The need for action on two fronts, internationally and nationally, is immediate.

Internationally, we are being called by the Universal House of Justice and our National Spiritual Assembly to arise in defense of the Baha'is in Iran. Facing fresh assaults daily on our beloved Faith, which have now spread to affect the lives of their children, the believers in Iran stand in need of your support.

Nationally, we are being called upon to play your indispensable part in winning the annual National Fund Goal. In a recent letter from the National Treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly, the Treasurer shared that, "If each one of us does our part, then we, through a great spirit of universal participation, will realize the victory so needed at this time."

Now, if ever, is the time to heed these words from the Universal House of Justice - "Might it, then, not be reasonably expected that you, the youth and young adults living at such an extraordinary time, witnessing such stirring examples of the valor of your Iranian fellows, and exercising such freedom of movement, would sally forth, 'unrestrained as the wind,' into the field of Baha'i action?"**

Keep reading to see how we can enter the field of action.

*The Universal House of Justice, A Wider Horizon, Selected Letters 1983-1992, p. 79
**The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 616

Defending Baha'i Children in Iran
Responding to a request from the Universal House of Justice, the US National Spiritual Assembly is calling upon the members of the American Baha'i community to familiarize themselves with the current realities facing the young Baha'i students in Iran and raise awareness of their situation. There are several paths of action that we can undertake.

1. Read the letter from the National Spiritual Assembly to the American Baha'i Community regarding the situation of Baha'i children in Iran.
2. Familiarize ourselves with the situation by visiting this site, which details the agonizing plight of Baha'i school children in Iran.
3. Respond to the call by the National Spiritual Assembly to email our Representatives in support of House Resolution 1008. Visit this site to learn more about H. R. 1008, which condemns the persecution of the Baha'is by the Iranian government, and how to contact your Representative.
4. Honor the struggles of our children, sisters and brothers in Iran, where in "virtually no other place on earth is so great a price for faith required of the Baha'is,"* by teaching the Faith and carrying out the provisions of the Five Year Plan for those unable to freely do so.
5. Contribute in honor of one who has passed on, asking for their assistance in alleviating the situation.

*The Universal House of Justice, A Wider Horizon, Selected Letters 1983-1992, p. 15

Winning the Goal

Shoghi Effendi has written that, "...our contributions to the Faith are the surest way of lifting once and for all time the burden of hunger and misery from mankind, for it is only through the System of Baha'u'llah - Divine in origin - that the world can be gotten on its feet and want, fear, hunger, war, etc., be eliminated."* With the increase in material support for the national upsurge in the teaching work, and to fill the need for the corresponding increase in administrative services, particularly at the regional and cluster levels, the demands on the National Fund to support the building of that System are similarly increasing. Now is the time to place your "share on the altar of Baha'i sacrifice...Now if ever is the time to tread the path which the dawn-breakers of a previous age have so magnificently trodden."**

We can all play our part in overcoming the $10.4 million deficit, winning the $25 million, and help build His System.

1. Contributions can be sent to National Baha'i Fund, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201.
2. Enroll in the Automatic Contribution System by filling out this form.
3. Host a fundraiser in your community.
4. Pray that the work of the Faith is amply supported both spiritually and materially so that the work of the current Five Year Plan can bring Baha'u'llah's Message to every heart.

*From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 8, 1947, Lights of Guidance, p. 122
**Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 131