Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1980-0, descending sort earliest first

date event tags firsts refs
1980 24 Sep Universal House of Justice announced that additional land had been acquired in the south-western area of the Haram-i-Aqdas in exchange for some land near Nazareth. The acquisition of this new land permitted the completion of the fourth quadrant. In addition, it was announced that nearly 50,000 square meters of agricultural land adjacent to and north of the Mazra'ih property had been acquired as a protection for the Mansion because this area was being developed rapidly. [BW18:99; DH122, Message from the Universal House of Justice 24 September, 1980] Haram-i-Aqdas; House of Bahá'u'lláh (Mazraih); Purchases and exchanges; Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; - Bahá'í World Centre; - Bahá'í World Centre; Akka, Israel; Bahji, Israel; Haifa, Israel
1980 Sep Building work began on the Samoan House of Worship. [BW18:104] Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Apia; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Apia, Samoa; Samoa
1980 (In the year) The Anís Zunúzí Baháʼí School, located at Lilavoix, Haiti, opened its doors to students in 1980. The inauguration ceremony took place on the 20th of October 1982 when Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Khánum planted an orange tree as part of the opening ceremonies. [BN No 625 April 1983 p5-7; BW17:158; Wikipedia]
  • The cost of the construction of the school was about $300,000 which was donated by the Hassan Ali-Kamran family in Belgium. [LB304]
  • The school is partnered with the Mona Foundation.
  • Bahaipedia.
  • Anis Zunuzi School, Haiti; - Bahá'í inspired schools; Lilavoix; Haiti
    1980 Sep The European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities adopted resolutions on the plight of the Bahá'ís in Iran. [BW19:38] European Union; United Nations; Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Other; Persecution; Human Rights; Bahá'í International Community; Iran
    1980 21 Aug The members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran were arrested along with two colleagues. They disappeared without trace and were presumed dead. In late December the bodies of five of the members of the National Assembly were discovered. [BW18p257; BW19:43, 235; Message from the Universal House of Justice 28 December 1981]
  • Those that went missing were: Abdolhossein Taslimi, Houshang Mohammadi, Ebrahim Rahmani, Hassan Naji, Manouher Ghaemmaghami, Ataollah Mogharabi, Yousef Ghadimi, Behieh Naderi, Dr. Kambiz Sadeghzadeh Milani, Yousef Abbasian and Heshmatollah Rouhani.
  • See photo.
  • See Iran Press Watch # 20394.
  • National Spiritual Assembly, Iran; Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Arrests; Persecution, Deaths; Iran
    1980 13 Aug In a message the Universal House of Justice announced the publication of translations into English of "The Long Healing Prayer" and "Qad-Ihtaraqa'l-Mukhisún", the prayer commonly known as the "Fire Tablet". These tablets have subsequently been published in prayer books. [Messages63-86p455]
  • The Long Healing Prayer had been translated by Habib Taherzadeh and a committee commissioned by the Universal House of Justice. [Healing and Beyond p10 by John Kolstoe]
  • Healing prayer, Long; Lawh-i-Qad-Ihtaraqal-Mukhlisun (Fire Tablet); Prayer; Translation; * Publications; - Bahá'í World Centre
    1980 29 Jul Adelbert Mühlschlegel, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away at his pioneer post in Athens, Greece. (b.16 June 1897) [BW18:613; VV52]
  • For his obituary see BW18:611–13.
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
  • Adelbert Milhlschlegel, M.D. (1897-1980) received a Tablet from ' Abdu'I-Bahá and became a close collaborator of Shoghi Effendi who elevated him to the rank of Hand of the Cause. In November 1957 he was asked by Ruhiyyih Khanum to wash and anoint the Guardian's body for burial. Speaking a dozen languages, he taught the Bahá'í Faith in both eastern and western Europe, India, Africa, and South America. Adelbert MiihlschJegel worked on many important translations, wrote a World History, and left a book of poetry. He passed away in Athens and is buried at the foot of the Acropolis. [The German Baha'i Community under National Socialism p30]
  • Adelbert Muhlschlegel; Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; In Memoriam; Athens; Greece
    1980 27 Jul The death of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in Cairo. (b.26 October, 1919 in Tehran).
  • Shah of Iran from 16 September, 1941 to 11 February. He came to power after an Anglo-Soviet invasion forced the abdication of his father, Reza Shah.
  • He had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in April 1974 by the French haematologist Professor Jean Bernard, [David Owen]
  • He fled Iran on 17 January and flew to Aswan, Egypt where he was welcomed by President Anwar El-Sadat.
  • Later he lived in Marrakech, Morocco as a guest of King Hassan II.
  • And then Paradise Island in the Bahamas,
  • then Cuernavaca, Mexico, near Mexico City where his medical condition deteriorated.
  • On the 22nd of October he flew New York for treatment in the Cornell Medical Center after President Carter relented. He was later taken to the Kelly Air Force Base in Texas and from there to the Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base.
  • He left the US on the 15th of December, 1979 and lived for a short time in Isla Contadora in Panama where he was taken in under American pressure. The new Iranian government made an attempt to extradite him.
  • In March, 1980 he returned to Egypt having been offered permanent asylum by President Anwar El-Sadat
  • The official cause of death was complications of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma)
  • He was buried in the Al Rifa'i Mosque in Cairo, [Wiki]
  • Reza Shah Pahlavi; Cairo, Egypt; Egypt
    1980 14 - 30 Jul Representatives of the Bahá'í International Community participated in the Second World Conference of Women in Copenhagen, Denmark and its preparatory conferences in Paris, New Delhi, Macuto (Venezuela) and Lusaka (Zambia). [Wikipedia; BIC History Second World Conference on Women]
  • The BIC presented two statements, Equality, development and peace; and Universal Values for the Advancement of Women.
  • Report of the World Conference of the UN Decade for Women; Equality, Develpment and Peace. (pdf)
  • See UN Women.
  • United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; - BIC statements; Copenhagen; Denmark
    1980 14 Jul Two of the Bahá'ís arrested in Tabríz in April were executed. [BW18:256] Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Deaths; Persecution; Tabriz, Iran; Iran
    1980 13 Jul The execution by firing squad of Dr. Faramarz Samandari as well as another Bahá'í by the name of Yadollah Astani, a reputable Tabriz merchant. Dr Samandari had been arrested on April 22nd along with a number of other Bahá'ís in Tabriz who had gathered to discuss what could be done about the Bahá'ís who had been expelled from government employment.

    Raised in Babol he had studied medicine in Tehran, completed his military service then left for England to study English and then Canada. After completing his studies in which he trained as an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist), he returned to Iran. His Canadian fiancee, Anita, followed and they were married in 1971. She and their three children, all under the age of seven, left Iran after the Revolution on the advice of the Canadian Embassy.

    He was 48 years old at the time of his execution and was considered one of the top microscopic ear surgeons in the world. He was an innovator who devised a new method of ear surgery for the treatment of deafness. The method, now used in a modernized form around the world, allows a surgeon to implant a small hearing aid behind the ear of a hearing impaired person in a way that cannot been seen. [Iran Wire]

    Persecution, Iran; Yadollah Astani; Dr. Faramarz Samandari; Tabriz, Iran; Iran; Babul (Barfurush), Iran; Iran
    1980 10 Jun The martyrdom of Yúsuf Subhání in Ivín Prison in Tehran. For an account of his execution and the events leading up to it see The Account of the Martyrdom of Mr. Yusuf Subhání, 10 June 1980 written by his brother-in-law, Jálál Khánimání. [World Order, Series2, Volume_17 Issue 1 p12-18] Persecution, Deaths; Persecution, Iran; Yusuf Subhani; Ivin Prison; Tehran, Iran; Iran
    1980 2 May The first Bahá'í International Conference on Health and Healing was held in Ottawa, Canada, under the sponsorship of the Association for Bahá'í Studies. [BW 18:201] Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Health; - Conferences, International; - First conferences; Ottawa, ON; Canada first Bahá’í International Conference on Health and Healing
    1980 2 May The Bahá'ís of India commemorated the centenary of the founding of the Bahá'í Faith in their country with a reception attended by about 400 guests, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. [BW18:246–7]
  • See here for the story of Jamal Effendi.
  • Centenaries; Prominent visitors; India
    1980 Ridván The National Spiritual Assembly of Transkei was formed with its seat in Umtata. [BW18:107, 163]
  • It was a Bantustan or nominally independent state established within South Africa. The South African government abolished Bantustans in 1994 and the Assembly of Transkei was disbanded in 1995 with the community falling under the administration of the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa. [National Spiritual Assemblies: Lists and years of formation by Graham Hassall]
  • National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Umtata; Transkei first NSA Transkei
    1980 Apr Eight Bahá'ís were arrested in Tabríz; five were released after signing an agreement not to take part in Bahá'í administrative activities. [BW18:256]
  • Two of the others, members of the local assembly, were put on trial and executed on 14 July 1982. [BW18:256]
  • Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Arrests; Persecution, Deaths; Persecution; Tabriz, Iran; Iran
    1980 3 Mar Publication by the Universal House of Justice of the compilation on The Importance of Prayer, Meditation and the Devotional Attitude. [MUHJ63-86p404] Prayer; Meditation; Compilations; * Publications; - Bahá'í World Centre
    1980 Mar The first Bahá'í Summer School of the Cameroon Republic was held in Victoria. [BW18:166] Summer schools; First summer and winter schools; Victoria; Cameroon first Bahá’í Summer School of the Cameroon Republic
    1980 25 Feb Robert Hayden, much-honoured American poet, passed away in Ann Arbor, Michigan. [BW18:717]
  • For his obituary see BW18:715–17.
  • See also Hatcher, From The Auroral Darkness: The Life and Poetry of Robert Hayden.
  • See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg249 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Robert Hayden.
  • See The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature entry about Robert Hayden.
  • In 1976, Mr. Hayden was named Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a post which was later renamed Poet Laureate of the United States. He was the first African-American to hold the position. He taught at Fisk University in Nashville for 23 years and then at the University of Michigan from 1969 until his death in 1980 at age 66. In 2012 the US Postal Service issued a series of stamps commemorating poets which included Mr Hayden. [BWNS915]
  • Robert Hayden; Poetry; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; Poet Laureate; Commemorative stamp; Ann Arbor, MI; Michigan, USA
    1980 12 Feb Hasan M. Balyuzi, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in London. (b. 7 September, 1908, Shiraz, Iran). He was buried at the New Southgate Cemetery London. [BW18:635; VV52, Mess63-86p442]
  • For his obituary see BW18:635–51 and SBBR5:XI–XX.
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
  • See Bahá'í Chronicles for a biography.
  • For a brief biography see Balyuzi, Hasan M. by Richard Francis and A Bio-bibliographic Sketch by Moojan Momen found in SBBR Vol 5 page XI-XIX.
  • For some essays and excerpts from Hasan Balyuzi's work see Bahá'í Library.
  • Find a grave.
  • Hasan Balyuzi; Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; In Memoriam; Bahá'í studies; London, England; United Kingdom
    1980-10 Feb Message from the Universal House of Justice addressed to the Bahá'ís of Iran and Iranian believers resident in other countries. [Mess63-68p433-441]
  • Note: The message was written in Farsi and the English translation was prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom. In a letter dated 29 July 1980 in which it forwarded the English translation to all National Spiritual Assemblies, the Universal House of Justice wrote: "The message includes several quotations from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi hitherto untranslated into English. The English texts of these passages, as they appear in the attached translated message, have been checked and approved at the World Center, and may be regarded by the friends as authorized texts."
  • The message dealt with such issues as: reasons for the current turmoil, the calamities ahead, the vision of the future, the responsibility to provide an example, the responsibility to serve God, the responsibility of moderation, the responsibility of resettling such that the Iranian population of any community does not exceed 50%, the responsibility of avoiding political involvement, and the strengths of the Iranian believers.
  • Persecution, Iran; - Bahá'í World Centre; Iran
    1980 Feb The persecution of the Bahá'ís in Iran entered a new, more dangerous phase. [BW18:255]
  • Prominent Bahá'ís were abducted. [BW18:256]
  • The homes of members of the National Spiritual Assembly were raided. [BW18:256]
  • National Spiritual Assembly; Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Arrests; Persecution; Iran
    1980 18 Jan The publication of the compilation on Divorce by the Universal House of Justice. [MUHJ63-86p404] Divorce; Marriage; Family (general); Compilations; * Publications; - Bahá'í World Centre
    1980 (In the year) The film Jubilee, commissioned by the Universal House of Justice and made by Elizabeth Martin, documented the dedication of the cornerstone for the House of Worship in Samoa.
  • She also made a second version of this film entitled Blessed Is the Spot which focused more directly on the dedication ceremonies.
  • The film The Bahá'ís was an introductory film on the development activities of the Bahá'í communities around the world was edited by Elizabeth Martin. [HNWE45]
  • Documentaries; Elizabeth Martin; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Apia; Foundation stones and groundbreaking; Toronto, ON; Canada
    1980 (In the year) The publication of Stories from the Delight of Hearts - The Memoirs of Hají Mírzá Haydar-Alí as translated by A Q Faizi and published by Kalimat in 1980. Hájí Mírzá Haydar-`Alí; Abu'l-Qasim Faizi; * Publications; Translation
    1980 (In the year) The persecution of the Bahá'ís of Iran continued throughout the year. [BW18:92]
  • Twenty–four Bahá'ís were executed or otherwise killed. [BW18:229–30]
  • BW18:291–2 shows a slightly different, incorrect list.
  • For pictures of the martyrs see BW18:293–305 and BW19:236–46.
  • For accounts of some of the martyrdoms see BW18:275–81.
  • Twelve Bahá'ís disappeared and were presumed dead. [BW19:235]
  • For a list of resolutions adopted by the United Nations, regional bodies, national and provincial governments, and other actions taken, see BW18:92–6.
  • For a list of the actions taken by the Bahá'í International Community, Bahá'í institutions and others see BW18:339–41, 415–17.
  • Persecution, Iran; Persecution, Deaths; Persecution; United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; Human Rights; Iran
    1980 (In the year) Yee Wah Sing, the first Fiji-born person to become a Bahá'í in Fiji, enrolled. [BN596:14] First Bahá'ís by country or area; Fiji first indigenous Bahá’í in Fiji
    1980 (In the year) The first local spiritual assemblies in Guinea were formed. Local Spiritual Assembly; Guinea first Local Spiritual Assembly in Guinea
    1980 (In the year) The opening of the Native American Bahá'í Institute (NABI) on Navajo land in Arizona. The programs at NABi integrate Native American spirituality with that of the Bahá'i faith. It was designated an agency of the National Spiritual Assembly thereby becoming one of the five permanent school and institutes. Over the years it has been focused upon various goals.
  • Since 1998, it has been designated a Regional Training Institute by the National Spiritual Assembly, and has been immersed in advancing the goals of the Training Institute process among Native Americans. [IndigenousBahais.com]
  • NABI campus is made up of 40 acres of Piñon/Juniper forest surrounded by the Navajo Nation. It's natural beauty has been preserved creating a serene setting in which to reflect and study both individually and collectively. [facebook]
  • Bahá'í Institutes; Native American Bahá'í Institute (NABI, Arizona); Houck; AZ; USA

    Try also a shorter date like or 1980 or 198

    try also the Chronology Canada — 1980-0 or 1980 or 198

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