For a picture of this first Local Spiritual Assembly see the for the National Community.

  The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. [United Nations website.

The Bahá'í Hospital, the Misaghieh Hospital, in Tehran was confiscated. See the documentation (page 7) for the list of charges against it.

A change of name which was recommended by the Canadian National Assembly and approved by the Universal House of Justice in April 1981 reflecting the emerging nature of the Association's membership and activities with national affiliates established in a number of countries. lts executive committee included, for the first time, members from the United States as well as Canada. Serving on the Executive Committee were Hossain Danesh, Glen Eyford, Richard Gagnon, Jane Goldstone, William Hatcher, Douglas Martin, Peter Morgan, Nasser Sabet and Christine Zerbinis, of Canada. Firuz Kazemzadeh and Dorothy Nelson served as liaison officers in the United States. [BW18p194]

See Wikipedia for a current list of association for Bahá'í Studies worldwide.

In 1979 the Universal House of Justice gave a further goal to the Canadian community for the Seven Year Plan: 'Expand the opportunities for teaching in Canadian institutions of higher learning and further develop the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá'í Faith.'

And in 1981, when the second phase of the Seven Year Plan was launched, the Universal House of Justice restated this goal and divided it into two parts: 'Foster the development of the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá'í Faith' and "Expand and intensify the teaching of the Faith in Canadian institutions of higher learning.'

The goal of cultivating opportunities for formal presentations and courses remained a primary objective of the Association, but the Universal House of Justice also encouraged specific attention to the development of the Association itself. The Association had become a significant feature of the intellectual, social and spiritual life of the Canadian community, and for increasing numbers of Bahá'ís worldwide.

In March of 1981 the Association for Bahá'í Studies announced the acquisition of a property in the heart of the University of Ottawa campus, the first such centre in the world. It is located at 34 Copernicus Street Ottawa, Ontario KIN 7K4. [BW18p195]

Persecution included but was not limited to:

Arrests and imprisonment: Bahá'ís were often arrested on false charges, including espionage or propaganda against the state, and were subjected torture and to long prison sentences.

Discrimination in education and employment: Bahá'ís were barred from higher education and many forms of employment within the public sector initially and then it expanded to all sectors of the economy. Their business licences were often revoked or they were prevented from starting businesses.

Property confiscation: Bahá'í properties, including holy sites, cemeteries, and religious centres, were desecrated, vandalized, confiscated or destroyed by the government.

Denial of citizenship rights: Bahá'ís faced difficulty in obtaining identification documents, which denied them citizenship rights and access to essential services.

Hate propaganda and vilification: Bahá'ís were subjected to hate propaganda through state-controlled media and religious leaders, portraying them as morally corrupt, enemies of Islam and the state. [Iran Press Watch]

Physical violence and harassment: Bahá'ís were targeted for physical violence, harassment, and intimidation by both government authorities and extremist groups.

Efforts by the international community, international human rights organizations, and individuals raised awareness of the persecution faced by Bahá'ís in Iran, urging the Iranian government to respect their human rights and provide them with the freedom to practice their religion without fear of persecution. In the early years of the Revolution about 200 Bahá'ís were executed but in the face of international pressure the regime resorted to more subtile and systematic means of oppression. On the whole the regime was defiant in the face of pressure from other countries, the United Nations and other Human Rights groups. [Iran Press Watch]

Subsequently, on 11 September 1980, the Universal House of Justice sent a message to all National Assemblies informing them of an article published in the 29 August edition of Le Monde, by a non-Bahá'í contributor, Eric Rouleau condemning Iran for the complete disappearance of these nine Bahá'ís.

.....it has already established the policy that doctoral theses do not have to be reviewed unless there is a proposal to publish them in larger quantities than is required by the examining body.

Also included were comments / a small compilation from the Research Department at the World Centre on the seminar and on Bahá'í scholarship. They concluded by discussing the two particular dangers to which Bahá'í scholars are exposed.

The world population of Bahá'ís was estimated to be 3,217,000. [BW19p67]

The Bahá'í Children's Savings Company, known in Iran as Shirkat-i Nawnahalan, began as a savings bank for Bahá'í children in 1917. As successive generations of Bahá'í children grew up, they kept their savings–primarily intended for their future educations–with the company, and local and national Bahá'í institutions also placed their deposit funds there. The Iranian government raided and took over the offices of this company in early June of 1979, freezing and then confiscating all of its assets, estimated at $5 million—literally stealing money from children. [Bahá'í Teachings 4 Oct 2012]