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Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1928, descending sort earliest first

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1928 31 Dec
192-
Ruth White, who had met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York in 1912 and who had been on pilgrimage in 1922, wrote to the High Commissioner of Palestine with a charge that the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá was a forgery. [SETPE1p157]
  • See AY103 for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's reaction to Ruth White in New York in 1912.
  • See FMH64-65 for the story of how her plans to convince Doris and Willard McKay of her theories were thwarted by the sudden arrival of their two dogs who had had a recent encounter with a skunk.
  • Covenant-breaking; Ruth White; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of; Palestine; New York, USA; United States (USA)
    1928 20 Dec
    192-
    Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, (b. 12 Apr 1873, Paris, France, d. 20 Dec 1928, Paris, France), Disciple of Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Paris. He was buried in Cimetiere de Montmartre in Paris. [UD84–5; BN No 29 January 1929 p2]
  • See Find a grave for a succinct biography.
  • For Shoghi Effendi's eulogy of him see BW3:210–14 and UD84–5.
  • Shoghi Effendi's letter to his widow.
  • See Biography of Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney by Laura Clifford Barney and Shoghi Effendi, edited by Thomas Linard.
  • Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney; - Disciples of `Abdu'l-Bahá; In Memoriam; Paris, France; France
    1928 3 Dec
    192-
    The pronouncement of the verdit of the court in the case of the official inquiry into the activities of the Bahá'í Faith.

    As the result of being mistaken for a secret political society, the members of the Spiritual Assemblies of Constantinople and Smyrna were seized and imprisoned at the police station overnight. After cross–examination for eight consecutive hours by high state officials, they were acquitted and released the following day. The result was that all newspapers carried the story with front page headlines, and the population was made thoroughly aware of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW3 p121; Bahá'í Administration> p151-152; Bahá'í Administration p167-169]

    Persecution, Turkey; Smyrna, Turkey; Turkey; Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
    1928 13 Dec
    192-
    The case arising out of the newspaper persecution of the Bahá'ís of Turkey was brought before a criminal tribunal. [PP316]
  • The Bahá'ís were able to make known the history and tenets of the Faith. [PP316–17; UD78–9]
  • Persecution, Turkey; - Persecution; Court cases; Human rights; Turkey
    1928 Nov
    192-
    It was recommended to the Council of the League of Nations to request that the British Government make representations to the Iraqi Government to redress the denial of justice to the Bahá'ís with reference to House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad. [GBF35]
  • See Minutes of the Fourteenth Session, 1928, by Permanent Mandates Commission.
  • House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); League of Nations; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq; Geneva, Switzerland
    1928 26 Oct-13 Nov
    192-
    The case of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád was taken before the fourteenth session of the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations. [BW3:207]
  • The right of the Bahá'ís to the House was upheld and the government of Iraq was strongly pressed to find a solution but the House was not returned to the Bahá'ís. [BW3:207–9; GBF35; PP96–7]
  • For Shoghi Effendi's comment on these developments see BW3:206–9.
  • The Shí'ís turned the House into a Husayníyyih, where the martyrdom of the Imám Husayn is mourned. [BBD113–14]
  • See Minutes of the Fourteenth Session, 1928, by Permanent Mandates Commission.
  • House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); League of Nations; Imam Husayn; Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1928 Oct
    192-
    A newspaper campaign of opposition to the Bahá'ís began in Turkey. [BBR474]
  • Several Bahá'ís were arrested as a result and a close investigation of Bahá'í affairs in Turkey was made by the judiciary and the police. [BBR474]
  • Persecution, Turkey; - Persecution, Arrests; - Persecution; Turkey
    1928 11 Sep
    192-
    The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iraq submitted a petition to the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations for the return of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád. [BW3:198–206]
  • See BA164-165 for letter from Shoghi Effendi.
  • Text of the Petition
  • See Minutes of the Fourteenth Session, 1928, by Permanent Mandates Commission.
  • Petitions; League of Nations; House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Baghdad, Iraq; Iraq
    1928 27 Aug
    192-
    The word 'Bahá'í' was registered with the United States Patent Office as a trademark. [BW6:348] United States Patent Office; Copyright and trademarks; United States (USA)
    1928 Jul
    192-
    The first International Religious Congress for World Peace was held at The Hague. It was attended by Martha Root. [BW3:45] - International peace conferences; Martha Root; - First conferences; The Hague, Netherlands; Netherlands first International Religious Congress for World Peace
    1928 Jun
    192-
    Martha Root visited the parents of Milosh Wurm in Brno. He had been the first to become a Bahá'í in Czechoslovakia and the first to have translated a book into Czech when he was only seventeen years of age. He lost his life in the Great War. [BW3p44, Bahá'í Historical Facts 26 March, 2018] Martha Root; Milosh Wurm; First Bahá'ís by country or area; Brno, Czechoslovakia; Czech Republic first to become a Baha'i in Czechoslovakia; first to translate a book into Czech;
    1928 27 May
    192-
    Hájí Amín, Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikání, Hand of the Cause of God and Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in Tihrán. [BBD7; EB263]
  • For his biography see EB263.
  • He was named a Hand of the Cause of God posthumously by Shoghi Effendi. [BBD7; EB263]
  • See BBD7 for a picture and an account of his life.
  • Hájí Amin (Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikani); * Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Hands of the Cause, Appointments; Hands appointed posthumously by Shoghi Effendi; In Memoriam; - Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh; Tehran, Iran; Iran
    1928 26–30 Apr
    192-
    The National Convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada was held in the Foundation Hall of the House of Worship for the first time. [BW2:180; CT167; BN No 24 June 1928]
  • Elected were Allen Mc Daniel (chair), Alfred Lunt (vice-chair), Horace Holley (secretary), Carl Scheffler (treasurer), Roy Wilhelm, May Maxwell, Louis Gregory, Amelia Collins, and Nellie French. [USBN No 26 September, 1928]
  • See BW2:180 for a picture.
  • See FMH53-54]
  • Conventions, National; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Wilmette; Firsts, other; Allen McDaniel; Alfred Lunt; Horace Holley; Carl Scheffler; Roy C. Wilhelm; May Maxwell (Bolles); Louis G. Gregory; Amelia Collins; Nellie French; Wilmette, IL; Chicago, IL; United States (USA) first time National Convention held in the Foundation Hall of the House of Worship, Wilmette
    1928 (In the year)
    192-
    The passing of Hand of the Cause of God Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad, known as Ibn-i-Asdaq. He was born in Mashhad in 1850/1851. [Bahá'í Encyclopedia Project]
  • His father was Mullá Sádiq-i-Muqaddas-i-Khurásání (also known as Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq of Khurásán), referred to as a Hand of the Cause of God by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. While still a child he suffered imprisonment with his father in Tehran. [EM19]
  • In 1880 he begged Bahá'u'lláh permission to be a martyr. Bahá'u'lláh said that if one lived right he might attain martyrdom. In 1882 Bahá'u'lláh conferred the station of martyr on him calling him "Shahid Ibn-i-Shahid" ("Martyr, son of the Martyr")."
      Today, the greatest of all deeds is service to the Cause. Souls that are well-assured should with utmost discretion teach the Faith,lll this martyrdom is no confined to the destruction of life and the shedding of blood. A person enjoying the bounty of life may yet be recorded as a martyr in the Book of the Sovereign Lord. [OLOMP46N12]
    • He was the first of the Hands of the Cause of God named by Bahá'u'lláh.
    • 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave him a special mission to teach members of the "ruling class" the Faith.
    • He was deeply involved in the planning and construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in 'Ishqábád.
    • Ibn-i-Asdaq, Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad, Hand of the Cause of God, Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, passed away in Tihrán. He was one of the few Apostles to live into the time of Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian. [BBD115, EM176, LoF9-12, RoB4p286]
    • For details of his life see RoB1P92-93; RoB2p 293; RoB3p62-63, 253-260, 265-268; EB2-23; MF5-8; DB100-101, 145-148, 185-187; EB171–6; BW6p103; Bahaipedia; LoF9-12.
    • His daughter, Ruha Asdaq wrote a book about her pilgrimage experiences with her father titled One Life One Memory: Memories of Pilgrimage in 1914. The book was translated to English and published by George Ronald in 1999. For a book review by Paul Mantle.
    • For more details of his life see EB171-176; RoB4p 301-304, Tablets to him RoB4 254, 275, 277, 2966,315-328, Photos RoB4 277-278, 281-286, 292.
  • In Memoriam; Ibn-i-Asdaq (Mírzá `Alí-Muhammad); - Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh; * Hands of the Cause; Hands appointed by Bahá'u'lláh; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Ismullahul-Asdaq (Mulla Sadiq Khurasani); Names and titles; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Ishqabad; Tehran, Iran; Mashhad, Iran; Iran
    1928 Apr
    192-
    As part of a general anti-religious campaign launched under Stalin, the Soviet authorities abrogated the constitution of the Spiritual Assembly of 'Ishqábád (now Ashgabat, Turkmenistan) and the Assembly was dissolved. [BW3:37-43; BW8p88; SETPE1p154; YS2]
  • Bahá'í schools and libraries were closed. [BBRSM173]
  • Not long after, the government ordered that all religious buildings in the Soviet Union were the property of the government and the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár locked. As soon as the doors were sealed by the authorities the friends gathered in the surrounds gardens for prayers. They came in far greater numbers that had requested the Temple. Too it was expropriated and later leased back to the Bahá'ís. [BBD122; BBR473; BBRSM161; BW3:37]
  • The chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly, Jináb-i Gulpáygání, as representative for the community, was chosen to go to Moscow to appeal the case where the authorities agreed to remove the seals from the gates making the grounds accessible to the friends. [YS2]
  • For the history of the persecution of the Bahá'ís in the Soviet Union see BBR473 and BW3:34–43.
  • Note: PP364–5 says it was 1929.
  • See The Bahá'í Community of Ashkhabad; Its Social Basis and Importance in Bahá'í History by Moojan Momen.
  • Persecution, Russia; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Ishqabad; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Moojan Momen; Ashgabat; Turkmenistan; Soviet Union; Russia
    1928 (In the year)
    192-
    In this year there were 579 localities in the world in which Bahá'ís lived, 102 local spiritual assemblies, nine national spiritual assemblies, and about eight languages into which Bahá'í literature was translated. [BBRSM160–1] National Spiritual Assembly; Local Spiritual Assembly; Statistics
    1928 Mar (date approximate)
    192-
    In early Spring Louise Gregory sailed for Dresden, Germany where she spent 11 days renewing old acquaintances. [SYH149]
  • Around the beginning of April she went to Prague were she met with Martha Root and spent about 2 weeks. [SYH149]
  • By March or perhaps mid April she was in Sofia installed at the Hotel Union Palace and nourishing her group of about 5 interested persons. Her knowledge of Esperanto was link to her contacts. On the 14th and the 18th of the month there were severe earthquakes near Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv. The shocks were felt in Sofia so normal activity was suspended temporarily. [SYH149-150]
  • In May, to escape the heat of the summer in Sofia she took refuge the Villa Viktoria in Trenčianske Teplice, a spa town situated in the Carpathian mountains of Slovakia. She stayed there in June, July and most of August. Here she received a great deal of assistance from an attracted soul, Dr Binder and his friend, Mr Schapira. An earthquake in Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv, upset the country and the teaching work [SYH150-152]
  • On about the 20th of August she made her way to Vienna and spent time with a previous contact. From there she took boat down the Danube on August 26th and arrived in Ruse, Bulgaria on the 30th of August and travelled overland to Sofia where she resumed her work with her study group in mid-September. One of her contacts translated Dr Esslemont's pamphlet "What is the Bahá'í Movement" into Bulgarian and 2000 copies were printed. She held study classes, taught languages, held public meeting and put articles in the local paper to attract interested persons. [SYH155; BN No 31 April 1929 p4]
  • On the 19th of March 1929 she departed Sofia en route to Haifa and her second pilgrimage. It is likely that she took the Simplon Orient Express to Tripoli, Lebanon and then by autobus to Beirut and Haifa. The latter part of the journey was completed by the Nairn Transport Company. [SYH161-165]
  • After her pilgrimage she sailed from Haifa on the SS Asia of the French Fabre Line to Providence, Rhode Island where she arrived on the 13th of May 1929. From their she travelled home to their cottage at Green Acre. During this trip to Europe she had visited Dresden in Germany, had accompanied Martha Root in Prague, Czechoslovakia, spent the summer in Teplice, Czechoslovakia and went back to Sofia before embarking on pilgrimage. [SYH165-166, 241]
  • Louise Gregory; Pilgrimage; Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Czech Republic; Sofia, Bulgaria; Bulgaria; Trencianske Teplice, Slovakia; Slovakia; Vienna, Austria; Austria; Haifa, Israel the first Bahá’í to settle in Bulgaria.
    1928 11 - 12 Feb
    192-
    The 'Conference for Inter-Racial Amity' was arranged by Inter-Racial Amity Committee of the Bahá'ís of Montreal'. There were three sessions in three venues: the YMCA, Channing Hall, and the Union Congregational Church. Speakers included Louis Gregory ('International Lecturer on Race Relations') and Agnes MacPhail, first Canadian woman Member of Parliament. [The Bahá'í 'Race Amity' Movement and the Black Intelligentsia in Jim Crow America: Alain Locke and Robert Abbot by Christopher Buck page 34, Bahá'í Studies Review, 17, pages 3-46, 2011, BW7p660]
  • See BW6p659-664 for the essay by Louis Gregory entitled "Racial Likenesses and Differences: The Scientific Evidence and the Bahá'í Teachings".
  • Date conflict: "The Origins of the Bahá'í Community of Canada, 1898-1948 by Will C. van den Hoonaard on page 90 says: "and on 2-4 March 1930 The Montreal Bahá'ís held Race Amity meeting." His source was the National Bahá'í Archives Canada, Notes on Montreal Bahá'í History.
  • SYH147 confirms the conference in Montréal was in "mid-February".
  • Race; Race amity; Race unity; Conferences, Race Amity; Agnes MacPhail; Louis G. Gregory; Montreal, QC; Quebec, Canada; Canada
    1928 Jan (toward the end of the month)
    192-
    The Chicago community held its first Race Amity Conference. Louis Gregory was a speaker at that gathering. [SYH147] Louis G. Gregory; Race; Race unity; Conferences, Race Amity; Chicago, IL
    1928 Jan
    192-
    A Covenant-breaker, Jamil Irani, tried to stir up trouble by implicating the Bahá'ís with Saláru'd-Dawlih, an ambitious brother of Muhammad-'Ali Sháh who had been deposed by the 1909 Revolution in Iran. The allegation was investigated by Lord Plummer, the British High Commissioner in Palestine who learned the truth of the matter. [SETPE1p151-152] Covenant-breaking; Jamil Irani; Plummer, Lord; Iran; Haifa, Israel
    1928 Jan
    192-
    A charter was granted by the State of New York to World Unity Foundation, a body of trustees administering the Conferences, the Institute of World Unity, and also assisting in the promotion of World Unity Magazine. The purpose of the Foundation, as set forth in the Charter, is "to maintain facilities for promoting those ethical, humanitarian and spiritual ideals and principles which create harmony and understanding among religions, races, nations and classes; and for cooperating with established educational, scientific and religious bodies working ior these ends." The Charter was granted to the following as trustees: John Herman Randall (a Christian Minister), Mary Rumsey Movius, Melbert B, Cary, Florence Reed Morton, Alfred W. Martin, Horace Holley and Mountfort Mills. [BN No 20 Nov 1927 p8; BN No 22 Mar 1928 p8] Conferences, World unity; World Unity Foundation; World Unity (magazine); New York, USA; United States (USA)
    1928 (In the year)
    192-
    The publication of Bahá'í Administration, a collection of communications to the American Bahá'í community from the Guardian between 1922 and 1929. Revisions were published in 1933, 1936, 1941 and 1945. Additional messages and an expanded index was added in 1968. [WOBpv, BAiv]

    "His letters to Bahá'í institutions and to Bahá'ís in general began almost at once, and many will be found in Bahá'í Administration, beginning January 21, 1922. Early or late, his communications were not merely writings, they were the dynamic that moved the Bahá'í world. These letters in effect built the Administrative Order, its most vital features being found there. They taught the Bahá'í Assemblies how to be, how to consult, what their duties were. The book also contains the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws drawn up by the international lawyer Mountfort Mills, carefully reviewed by Shoghi Effendi, and adopted in 1926 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, at this time under one jurisdiction. (Khan, back in America by then. Shoghi Effendi wished all National Spiritual Assemblies to adopt, with necessary local adaptations, this Declaration of Trust and ByLaws, which set forth the character and objectives of Bahá'í communities worldwide." [Cited from AY304]

    Bahá'í Administration (book); * Shoghi Effendi, Writings of; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); * Publications; * Shoghi Effendi, Basic timeline; Declaration of Trust and By-laws; Mountfort Mills; - Basic timeline, Expanded; * Administrative Order; Shoghi Effendi, Works of; Local Spiritual Assemblies; National Spiritual Assemblies
    1928 (In the year)
    192-
    The first publication of Kalil Gibran's book, Jesus (The Son Of Man: His Words And His Deeds As Told And Recorded By Those Who Knew Him) in New York by A.A. Knopf. It was re-published in 1946 and 1995 again by Knopf Doubleday, by Oneworld in 1993 2008 and 2012 and by Green Light Ebooks in Los Angeles in 2011.

    Around 1911–1912, Gibran met with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to draw His portrait when He visited the United States The meeting made a strong impression on Gibran. One of Gibran's acquaintances later in life, Juliet Thompson reported that Gibran was unable to sleep the night before meeting him. This encounter with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá later inspired Gibran to write Jesus the Son of Man that portrayed Jesus through the "words of seventy-seven contemporaries who knew him – enemies and friends: Syrians, Romans, Jews, priests, and poets." After the passing of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Gibran gave a talk on religion with Baháʼís and at another event with a viewing of a movie of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Gibran would rise to talk and proclaim in tears an exalted station of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá and leave the event weeping. [Wikipedia]

  • See YouTube Video for more on his painting career and his association with Alexander and Marjorie Morten, Bahá'ís of New York City and gallery owners.
  • See World Order Series 2 Vol 7 Issue 4 p45 for the story of his "declaration" of faith.
  • See On Kahlil Gibran and the Bahá'í Faith by Steven Kolins.
  • Jesus the Son of Man (book); Kahlil Gibran
    1928 (In the year)
    192-
    The first local assembly of Shanghai was formed. [PH28; Film Early History of the Baha'í Faith in China 17 min 34 sec ] Local Spiritual Assembly; Shanghai, China first LSA Shanghai
    1928 to 1938
    192-
    The third Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh was Hájí Ghulám-Ridá (entitled Amín-i-Amín) (Trustee of the Trustee). He had been Hájí Amín's assistant for several years and so was chosen to succeed him. He had been born into the wealthy merchant class in Tehran. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1985]
  • During his tenure steps were taken to register Bahá'í properties and endowments in Iran.
  • He died due to an illness. [BW8p659]
  • Photo of his grave. [BW9p77]
  • Huqúqu'lláh; Huququllah, Trustees of; Hájí Ghulam-Rida (Amin-i-Amin); Tehran, Iran; Iran
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