Bees and poppies in our garden

We have a beautiful variety of poppies currently flowering in the garden. The amazing thing about these poppies is that I saved some of the seeds from the garden of my great grand mother. Bees just love the flowers. This morning, when I went to have a look at the new flowers, there were 10 bees in one flower. Amazing!

Vale Odetta

Vale Marjorie Moores

This photo was taken of Marjorie in April. She is pictured here with her grand daughter, Clare Stark who was celebrating her 21st birthday.

Marjorie Moores was one of the earliest remaining members of the Australian Baha'i community. Marjorie served most of her Baha'i life in Brisbane, and moved in her last years to Hobart to be near her daughter Ann Stark, and family, Kevin, Eleanor and Clare. One of Marjorie's final wishes was to donate her grand piano to the recently completed Tasmanian Baha'i Centre of Learning, a wish that was fulfilled when it was played in the main auditorium in the last week of her life.

Art

Last Movember update

Well, it is almost the end of the month of Movember so I thought that I should give an update.

Vale Anne McKay

Anne and Noel

Our aunt, Anne McKay passed away today in Queensland on her 91st birthday.
She was a very special lady, who will be sadly missed.

The Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha

On Wednesday, November 26 and Friday, November 28, Baha’is commemorate the Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Baha’u'llah appointed His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, as the protector of the Covenant of Baha’u'llah. The Covenant has helped maintain unity and prevent schism within the Baha’i Faith.

The Covenant of Baha’u'llah is unique in religious history and provided clear instructions of the organization of the Faith after the passing of Baha’u'llah.

`Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921)

Portrait of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

From earliest childhood,`Abbas Effendi, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh , shared His father's sufferings and banishments. He took as His title `Abdu'l-Bahá, the "servant of Baha." Bahá'u'lláh appointed Him the one authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í teachings and as Head of the Faith after His own passing. In`Abdu'l-Bahá was seen a perfect example of the Bahá'í way of life.

While `Abdu'l-Bahá was still a prisoner of the Ottomans the first Bahá'í pilgrims from the western world arrived in Acre in 1898. After His release in 1908, `Abdu'l-Bahá set out on a series of journeys which, in 1911-1913, took Him to Europe and America. There He proclaimed Bahá'u'lláh's message of unity and social justice to church congregations, peace societies, the members of trade unions, university faculties, journalists, government officials, and many public audiences.

`Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in 1921, having consolidated the foundations of the Bahá'í Faith and greatly expanded its reach. The northern rooms of the Shrine of the Báb, where He is interred, are a place of pilgrimage for Bahá'ís visiting Haifa, Israel where the World Centre of their Faith is located.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UN rejection of Iranian 'no-action motion' is victory for human rights

UNITED NATIONS, 21 November (BWNS) - The Baha'i International Community praised the United Nations General Assembly for today rejecting a so-called "no-action motion" on human rights in Iran.

Such a motion, if it had passed, would have used procedural rules to set aside a resolution that is sharply critical of the Islamic Republic of Iran over its use of torture, the high incidence of executions, the "violent repression" of women, and "increasing discrimination" against Baha'is, Christians, Jews, Sufis, and Sunni Muslims, among other minorities.

That resolution subsequently passed the Assembly's Third Committee, by a vote of 70 to 51 with 60 abstentions, in a second vote today. The resolution will now be sent for final approval by the full Assembly in mid-December.

"This motion allowed governments an easy way to evade their responsibility to protect international human rights, and by rejecting it they have cleared the way for a thorough investigation of human rights abuses in Iran," said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the BIC to the United Nations.

Happy birthday to Noel.

We have been together now for 42 birthdays!

Brideshead Revisited

Another movember update

Movember update

This is serious mo (and beard) growing!

Movember update

Noel took this snap of me while we were in the studio at City Park Radio. We were just preparing to present the weekly 30 minute Baha'i program : One Planet, One People. I have almost two weeks growth of whiskers and it is the half way mark for Movember 2008.

Happy birthday, Tahirih!

Happy birthday to our daughter, Tahirih.

There's Never Enough Time

Brick Lane -

Birthday of Baha'u'llah

Baha'u'llah was born on 12th November 1817

From childhood He was extremely kind and generous. He was a great lover of outdoor life, most of His time being spent in the garden or fields. He had an extraordinary power of attraction, which was felt by all. People always crowded around Him. Ministers and people of the Court would surround Him, and the children were always devoted to Him. When he was only 13 or 14 years old He became renowned for His learning. He would converse on any subject and solve any problem presented to Him. In large gatherings He would discuss matters with the leading mullas and would explain intricate religious questions. All of them used to listen to Him with the greatest interest.

When Baha'u'llah was 22 years old, His father died and the Government wished Him to succeed to His Father's position in the Ministry, as was the custom in Persia, but Baha'u'llah did not accept the offer. Then the Prime Minister said: " Leave Him to Himself. Such a position is unworthy of Him. He has some higher aim in view. I cannot understand Him, but I am convinced that He is destined for some lofty career. His thoughts are not like ours. Let Him alone."

The Duchess

Day 9 of Movember