Chronology: Date 1983-0

date	event	tags	firsts
1983 Sep	Persian Baháʾís have made great contributions in international Bahá'í fields. The Persian Bahá'í community, as the oldest and wealthiest Bahá'í community in the world has played a vital role in almost every major accomplishment of the Bahá'í world community. The earliest Bahá'í communities in the Middle East, and southern Russia were without exception formed through the pioneering activities of the Persian Bahá'ís. In later periods they traveled and settled in different parts of the world to propagate the Faith. During the Ten Year World Crusade (1953-63) and subsequent global activities, the Persian community contributed substantial manpower and financial support. During 1968-73 alone, as a partial goal of the international Nine Year Plan (1964-1973), 3,500 Persian Bahá'ís were relocated to goal areas, both domestic and international, and some five thousand individuals, often using their own resources, served as missionaries abroad. [BW13p291-292; BW15p247; BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]	Statistics; Iran
1983 Sep	All property and endowments owed by the Bahá'í administration in Iran was seized. The acquisition, preservation, and maintenance of the places directly associated with the history of the Bahá'í faith had been among the goals of the community since its early years. These places consisted of houses and sites associated with the principal figures of the Faith, burial places of Bahá'í saints, places where the martyrdoms of believers took place, prisons, fortresses, and defense centres of heroes and renowned Bahá'ís. The fact that these places were located throughout the country made their care a major undertaking for various committees at local and national levels. The work included the registration, description, and photographing of the sites in addition to their regular maintenance and restoration. In the late 1960s more than 124 holy places belonged to the faith in various localities throughout the country. There were more than 200 national and 452 local endowments consisting of Bahá'í centres, cemeteries, hostels, and public baths. [Department of Statistics, Baháʾí World Centre, Haifa, "Persia - Nine Year Plan File," 14 January 1969] In addition the Bahá'is had acquired 3.58 square kilometers of land on the slopes of Mount Alborz, named Ḥadīqa, in northeast Tehran, for the eventual construction of a National Mašreq al-Aḏkār. Although the temple had not yet been built a complex of buildings had been erected on the site to serve as the seat of Bahá'í summer schools and other social and administrative activities. [BW10p48; BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]	Persecution, Iran; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Tihran; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Statistics; Tehran, Iran; Iran
1983 3 Sep	In response to the Iranian authorities banning all Bahá'í administrative and community activities and the making of membership in a Bahá'í assembly a criminal offence, as their last act the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran sent an open letter to the Prosecutor General of the Islamic Revolution refuting the false charges made against the Bahá'ís and informing him of their willingness to obey the government and disband the Bahá'í administration. [BW19:43] In this letter, which was delivered to some 2,000 government officials and prominent persons, the National Spiritual Assembly called on the authorities to end the persecution, arrest, torture, and imprisonment of Bahá'ís "for imaginary crimes and on baseless pretexts, because God knows—and so do the authorities—that the only 'crime' of which these innocent ones are guilty is that of their beliefs... ." Emphasizing the implausibility of the espionage allegations, the letter asked: "What kind of spy is an 85-year-old man from Yazd who has never set foot outside his village? … How could students, housewives, innocent young girls, and old men and women… be spies? How could [village farmers] be spies? What secret intelligence documents have been found in their possession? What espionage equipment has come to hand? What 'spying' activities were engaged in by the primary school children who have been expelled from their schools?" The letter further emphasized that "spying is an element of politics, while noninterference in politics is an established principle of the Bahá'í faith." Responding to the accusation that Bahá'ís had been "hoarding" spare automobile parts, the National Spiritual Assembly objected: "[i]f the Prosecutor chooses to label the Bahá'í administration as a network of espionage, let him at least consider it intelligent enough not to plan the overthrow of such a strong regime by hoarding a few spare parts!" The letter also drew attention to the fact that while Muslims were praised for sending money abroad (e.g. to Iraq and Jerusalem) for the upkeep of religious shrines, when a Bahá'í did the same, it was considered "an unforgivable sin and… proof that he has done so in order to strengthen other countries [particularly Israel]." [A Faith Denied: The Persecution of the Baha'is of Iran] In a gesture of good will and in accordance with their law of obedience to the government the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Iran and all local assemblies were dissolved. In its place, they formed groups of three persons in cities and villages called Khadimeen ("Servants"), and on the national level named the Yaran-e Iran to address the immediate needs of the community such as births, marriages, divorces, burial ceremonies and other services. [BW19:62] Since the 1920s when the Bahá'í administration was introduced in Iran they had made considerable progress. 1950 Local Spiritual Assemblies: 280 Localities: 712 1968 Local Spiritual Assemblies: 560 Localities: 1,541 1979 Local Spiritual Assemblies: 679 Localities: 1,699 [BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]	National Spiritual Assembly, Iran; Persecution, Iran; - Persecution; National Spiritual Assembly, dissolved; Local Spiritual Assembly, dissolved; Yaran; Khadimeen; Statistics; Iran
1983 29 Aug	In Iran the Bahá'í Faith was banned in Iran and membership of Bahá'í institutions made a criminal offence. This order required the dissolution of the third National Spiritual Assembly and roughly 400 local assemblies. [BW19:43] The National Spiritual Assembly was dissolved as well all Bahá'í institutions throughout the country. [BW19:43] Despite the dissolution, the authorities continued to harass and intimidate the former National Spiritual Assembly members, former members of Local Spiritual Assemblies and other administrative officials around the country, as well as every individual who had signed the open letter defending the Bahá'í community. Between late 1983 and early 1984 over 500 Bahá'ís – most of whom were former council members or related to former members – were arrested without charge. In time, seven former members of the third National Spiritual Assembly were arrested and eventually executed by the government. Jahángír Hidáyatí, who had already attracted much hostile attention from the Islamic regime as a board member of the Bahá'í-run Nawnahálán Corporation, was arrested on June 30, 1983, and held in solitary confinement in Evin prison for eleven months, during which time he was repeatedly tortured in an effort to persuade him. to recant his faith on public television. He refused. Hidáyatí was executed on May 15, 1984. [BW19p205] Shápúr (Húshang) Markazí was arrested in September 1983. During the course of his imprisonment, torturers broke his ribs and damaged one eye so badly that it seriously impaired his vision. Their goal was reportedly to force him to admit to false charges implicating the Bahá'í institutions as a network involved in espionage and himself as a spy. He was executed on September 23, 1984. Ahmad Bashiri was arrested in July of 1983 for serving on several Local Spiritual Assemblies in different towns and eventually on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran. He was severely tortured during his 15 months in prison and finally executed on November 1, 1984. Dr. Farhád Asdaqí was called to Tehran and asked to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly after the arrest of the second National Assembly. He did this until the third National Assembly was disbanded in September 1983. Dr. Asdaqí went into hiding in 1983 but was finally arrested in June 1984. He was executed on November 19, 1984 – after four months of imprisonment and torture. Farid Bihmardi was elected and served on the last National Spiritual Assembly of Iran. He was arrested in the streets of Tehran and was imprisoned a total of twenty-two months in Evin prison. During this period he was tortured and spent nearly 9 months in solitary confinement. He was never allowed visitors and was executed on June 10, 1986. It is believed that he was hung; however, since he was buried before his family was told of his execution, no proper examination was done to determine the cause of death. [BW20p385] Ardishír Akhtarí was arrested by four Revolutionary Guards from Zarbat Group at Evin on September 11, 1984 at his home. He spent over three years in prison before he was finally executed on September 28, 1987. Amír-Husayn Nádirí was also arrested on September 11, 1984. He was imprisoned at Evin and Gohardasht where he was tortured extensively. He was held in detention for over three years before being executed with Ardishír Akhtarí on September 28, 1987. [BW20p387 note 232; A Faith Denied: The Persecution of the Baha'is of Iran]	Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Bans; - Persecution; National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Iran
1983 23 Aug	Seyyed Hussein Musavi Tabrizi, the Attorney General of Iran, declared all Bahá'í administrative activities illegal, thus requiring the dissolution of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, along with some 400 Local Assemblies which operated under its jurisdiction. [Iran Press Watch]	Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution, Bans; - Persecution; Iran
1983 5 – 7 Aug	The first Los Angeles Bahá'í History Conference was held at the University of California at Los Angeles. [BW19:369–70]	Bahá'í history; Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Other; - Conferences; - First conferences; Los Angeles, CA; USA	first Los Angeles Bahá’í History Conference
1983 1 - 12 Aug	The second World Conference Against Racism was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Report UN website	United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; UNESCO; Racism; Discrimination; Geneva, Switzerland
1983 Ridván	The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in Africa rose to some 7,200 and localities where Bahá'ís resided to over 35,000. In Algeria, the Congo, Egypt, Libya and Niger the Faith remained banned. [BW19p147]	Statistics; - Persecution; National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Algeria; Congo, Democratic Republic of (Zaire); Egypt; Libya; Niger
1983 17 Jul	The passing of Counsellor William Mmutle Masetlha (b.February 21, 1921 in Sophiatown, a township of Johannesburg) in Dube (Soweto), South Africa. [BW19p607-608] He became a Bahá'í in 1954 and served on local assemblies, the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South and West Africa, on the Auxiliary Board and in 1976 was appointed as a Counsellor. [Bahá'í Chronicles] Founded in 1995, the William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation (WMMF) is a Bahá'í organization that supports education and vocational training initiatives in Zambia. Its parent organization, the Masetlha Institute, was founded in 1983 and offers community-based education in areas including literacy and health, as well as spirituality. One of the WMMF's initiatives, the Banani International Secondary School, is a residential girls' school specializing in science and agriculture; in 2003, the Banani School was ranked among the top 100 African secondary schools. WMMF is also partnering with FUNDAEC (Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences) to develop a secondary education/vocational training preparation program for rural youth.	In Memoriam; Williams Mmutle Masetlha; William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation (WMMF); Auxiliary board members; Banani School, Zambia; Sophiatown, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa; Dube; Soweto, South Africa; South Africa
1983 12 Jun	The Hojjatiyeh society, also known as Hojjatieh or Hojjatiyeh Movement, was a religious and political organization in Iran with a short but controversial history. It emerged in the 1950s and gained significant influence within Iran's Shia Muslim community in the 1970s and early 1980s. The movement's name is derived from its founder, Shaikh Mahmoud Halabi, who was known as Hojjat-ol-Eslam Hojjati. The Hojjatiyeh movement initially presented itself as a conservative Islamic group that aimed to combat the spread of the Bahá'í Faith and defend the principles of Twelver Shia Islam. It considered the Bahá'í teachings to be a heretical deviation from Islam and saw Bahá'ís as apostates. The movement was critical of the Shah's regime and initially aligned itself with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the Iranian Revolution in 1979. After the revolution, the Hojjatiyeh movement's activities and ideology began to be viewed with suspicion. Its radical and confrontational approach towards other religious minorities and even other Shia Muslims drew criticism from other clerics and political factions within the new government. In response to mounting pressure and criticism, Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the dissolution of the Hojjatiyeh society in 1983, effectively banning the organization. The movement's radical and divisive teachings were seen as a threat to the stability and unity of the newly established Islamic Republic. [Wikipedia; Hojjatiyeh, Mesbahiyeh, and Ahmadinejad by M Sashimi]	Hojjatieh Society; Persecution, Iran; Iran
1983 (early) Jul	The European European Board of Counsellors sponsored a Bahá'í Youth Conference in Innsbruck. Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum was a special guest. It was attended by about 1,500 from some 40 countries. [BW19p173] See the letter from the Universal House of Justice addressed to the Conference.	- Conferences; Conferences, Youth; Innsbruck, Austria; Austria
1983 Jul 1983	The Office of Social and Economic Development was opened at the Bahá'í World Centre. [AWH8; BBD70; BBRSM154; BW19:58; VV78] See BW19:351–5 for a survey of Bahá'í social and economic projects.	Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED); Social and economic development; Social action; - Bahá'í World Centre
1983 25 Jun	The passing of Reginald "Rex" Collison (b. 3 May 1884 in Ohio). He was buried in Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California, USA. [BW19p595-596] Rex accepted a position in plant research on the staff of Cornell University and held this post for thirty-three years, retiring in 1945 as Chief of Research and Professor Emeritus. Rex and Mary were married in 1920 and in 1924 learned of the Faith from Howard and Mabel Ives. In 1952 he and Mary pioneered to Uganda. When the Ten Year Crusade was launched in 1953, the Collisons were the first American believers to arise. Accompanied by Mr. Dunduzu Chisiza, a young Nyasaland African who served as their interpreter and shared their home for over a year, they settled in Ruanda-Urundi. (Today,known as Rwanda and Burundi.) For their service in opening Ruanda-Urundi to the Faith the trio were named by Shoghi Effendi Knights of Baha'u'llah. Returning to Kampala in 1955, the Collisons were later appointed custodians of the Mother Temple of Africa and they served the Faith in this capacity with great devotion until 1966 when they found it necessary to return home to Geyserville. See CG66-67 for their services while in Uganda. Find a grave. On August 11, 1970, Rex lost his wife Mary (b. 13 Nov 1892 in Adelaide, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada). [BW15p486] Find a grave.	Rex Collison; In Memoriam; Mary Collison; Dunduzu Chisza; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Healdsburg; California, USA; USA
1983 24 Jun	In response to the hanging of 10 Bahá'í women in Shíráz, the Universal House of Justice addressed a cable to the Bahá'í youth throughout the world, urging them to re-dedicate themselves to the Cause. [BW19:187–8, 297]	Youth; - Bahá'í World Centre
1983 18 Jun	In Shiraz, ten Bahá'í women ranging in age from 17 to 57, were hanged. All of the women had been tortured and interrogated in the months prior to their execution. The youngest of these martyrs was Mona Mahmudnizhad, a 17-year-old schoolgirl who had been beaten on the soles of her feet, kissed the hands of her executioner and placed the hangman's rope around her own throat. The names of the others executed were Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih, 28, Ruya Ishraqi, a 23-year-old veterinary student, Shahin Dalvand, 25, a sociologist; Izzat Janami Ishraqi, 57, a homemaker and mother of Roya; Mahshid Nirumand, 28, who had qualified for a degree in physics but had it denied her because she was a Bahá'í, Simin Sabiri, 25; Tahirih Arjumandi Siyavushi, 30, a nurse; Akhtar Sabet Sarvestani, 25, also a nurse; Nusrat Ghufrani Yalda'i, 47, a mother and member of the local Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly. [Hanged for teaching "Sunday school"] For the story of the martyrs see BW19:180–7 and VV56. See the story of the arrest and execution of Simin Saberi. For their obituaries see BW19:596–607. For pictures of the martyred women see BW19:240–1. See World Order magazine Vol 4 Issue 3, 1986 for an article on Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih written by her sister Simin Khavari. See Bahá'í Teachings for the story of Nusrat Yalda'i, a mother of four children, three sons and one daughter, who was executed for her hospitality. See Track Persia dated 25 January 2020 for an account of how female prisoners have been treated in Iranian prisons since the Islamic Revolution. See the NYTimes story in which Khomeini attacks Reagan for supporting Bahá'ís. In 1985 a 45-page booklet entitled The Story of Mona: 1965-1983 was published by Bahá'î Canada Publications, under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada. Also in 1985 a music video called Mona and Children was made by Douglas John Cameron and friends. In 2003 a play, A New Dress for Mona by Mark Perry was produced by the Drama Circle. Lenz Entertainment produced a screenplay entitled Mona's Dream. It was written by Houshang Touzie and Jack Lenz and won the 2010 Female Eye Audience Choice Screenplay Award. Facebook. In June of 2017 the book, Our Friend Mona: The Remarkable Life of a Young Martyr by Azadeh Rohanian Perry and Mark E Perry (with the assistance of Mona's mother, Mrs. Farkhundih Mahmudnizhad) was published by Circle of Spirit. Further details about the lives of the ten women as well as the history of their arrest and public execution can be found here. The Revolutionary Prosecuter in the execution of all 22 Bahá'ís during that period was Farshad Seyyed Zia Mir-Amadi. iiiii See Iran Press Watch 21 June 2023 for the article Who Were the Perpetrators of the Mass Execution of 10 Baha'i Women in Shiraz?. The article also delineates the measures taken by the families of the prisoners to appeal their sentences and mentions the intervention by President Ronald Regan. See Olya's Story: A Survivor's Dramatic Account of the Persecution of Bahá'ís in Revolutionary Iran by Olya Roohizadegan. It is an account of a young woman imprisioned at the same time as the 10 martyrs. It was published by Oneworld Publications 1 June 1993.	Martyrs, Shiraz 1983; Mona Mahmudnizhad; Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Deaths; - Persecution; Youth; - Persecution, Education; Shahin Dalvand; Izzat Janami Ishraqi; Mahshid Nirumand; Simin Sabiri; Tahirih Arjumandi Siyavushi; Akhtar Thabit; Nusrat Ghufrani Yaldai; Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih; Ruya Ishraqi; Shíráz, Iran; Iran
1983 16 Jun	Six Bahá'ís were executed by hanging: Dr. Bahrarn Afnan, aged 50, a prominent physician specializing in heart and internal diseases; Mr. Bahram Yalda'i, aged 28, who had studied to obtain his doctorate in economics; Mr. Jamflid Siyavushi, aged 39, who owned a clothing shop; Mr. 'Inayatu'llah Ifiraqi, aged 61, who had worked for the Iran Oil Company and was retired; Mr. Kurug Haqqbin, aged 34, an electrical technician specializing in the repair of radio and television sets; and Mr. 'Abdu'l-Husayn Azadi, aged 66, a veterinarian who had been an employee of the Ministry of Health. Of this group, all save Mr. Igraqi and Mr. Yalda'i were members of Local Spiritual Assemblies in Shíráz or surrounding communities. [BW19p178]	Persecution, Iran; Shíráz, Iran
1983 23 May	A five year term for the Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre was established by the Universal House of Justice. [Message 19 May, 1983; BW19:27] "... a five-year term for the Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre. Each term will start on 23 May immediately following the International Bahá'í Convention, and the current term will end on 23 May 1988. Should circumstances prevent the Universal House of Justice from making new appointments at the end of any five-year term, the Counsellors will remain in office until such time as new appointments can be made."	Counsellors; International Teaching Centre, Members of; Appointed arm; Universal House of Justice; - Bahá'í World Centre
1983 19 May	The Universal House of Justice announced a number of changes to the membership of the International Teaching Centre raising the number of members to nine. [BW19:27] For reasons of health Counsellor Florence Mayberry took her retirement from the ITC. [Mess63-86p577] Four new Counsellors were appointed: Mr Magdalene Carney, Mr Mas'úd Khamsí, Dr Peter Khan and Mrs Isobel Sabri. [Mess63-86p578] The Hands of the Cause serving in the International Teaching Centre were: Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and 'Ali-Akbar Furutan. [Mess63-86p578]	International Teaching Centre; Counsellors; Florence Mayberry; Magdalene Carney; Masud Khamsi; Peter Khan; Isobel Sabri; - Bahá'í World Centre
1983 29 Apr - 2 May	The Universal House of Justice was elected for the fifth time at the International Convention held in Haifa. Those elected were: 'Al´Nakhjavání, Hushmand Fatheazam, Ian Semple, David Ruhe, Glenford Mitchell, David Hofman, Borrah Kavelin, Charles Wolcott, and Hugh Chance. [Mess63-86p359] The National Spiritual Assembly of Iran was unable to attend but sent 133 red roses as its gift to its sister Assemblies. [BW18:461] For a report of the Convention see BW18:461–4. See BW18:462, 464 for pictures.	Universal House of Justice, Election of; Elections; Universal House of Justice, Members of; Conventions, International; Gifts; Roses; NSA; - Bahá'í World Centre; Haifa, Israel; Iran
1983 Ridván	The renovation of the House of 'Abdu'lláh Páshá in 'Akká was completed. [BW18:77] Delegates attending the fifth International Convention were the first pilgrims to visit it. [BW18:77] For pictures see BW18:78–80.	House of `Abdu'lláh Páshá; Restoration; Conventions, International; Firsts, other; Pilgrimage; - Bahá'í World Centre; Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; Akka, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre	first pilgrims to House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá
1983 Ridván	The National Spiritual Assembly of St Vincent and Grenada was formed. [BW18:107] Was it "St Vincent and the Grenadines"? See National website]	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; St. Vincent; Grenada	first NSA St Vincent and Grenada
1983 Ridván	The National Spiritual Assembly of St Lucia was formed with its seat in Castries. [BW18:107, 171, 514-515]	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Castries, St. Lucia; St. Lucia	first NSA St Lucia
1983 Ridván	The National Spiritual Assembly of Dominica was formed with its seat in Roseau. [BW18:107, 171, 514-515]	National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Roseau; Dominica	first NSA Dominica
1983 Apr	The Government of Morocco prohibited all Bahá'í meetings. [BW19:49]	Persecution, Morocco; - Persecution, Bans; - Persecution; Morocco
1983 Mar	Five local and two pioneer Bahá'ís were arrested, interrogated and held briefly in prison in Mauritania. [BW19:49] The National Assembly was dissolved. [BW19:49]	NSA; Persecution, Mauritania; - Persecution, Arrests; - Persecution; Mauritania
1983 Mar	The first International Youth Camp of Surinam was held in NW. Nickerie, attended by 130 Bahá'ís. [BW18:176]	International Youth Camps; Nickerie; Suriname	first International Youth Camp of Surinam
1983 24 Feb	The inauguration of the Bahá'í Vocational Institute for Rural Women at Indore, India. It offered rural women residential courses on literacy, health care and income generating skills. The success of this school was recognized when it won one of the Global 500 Environmental Action awards that was presented at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 [The Baha'is magazine].	- Bahá'í inspired schools; Women; Social and economic development; Earth Summit; Indore, India; India
1983 13 Jan	The publication of the compilation entitled "The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith" by the Universal House of Justice. [Messages63-86p571, Compilation of CompilationsVol 1 p187]	Deepening; - Compilations; * Publications; - Bahá'í World Centre
1983 Jan - Feb c.	The Seat of the Universal House of Justice was completed; the Universal House of Justice officially occupied the building. [BBD204; BW19:23; VV62] For a description and history of the building see BW19:24–6. Marble for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice was quarried from Mount Pentelikon, just north of Athens and was cut and chiseled by Margraf, a firm from Chiampo, Italy formerly known as Industria Marmi Vincentini. [BWNS1223] For pictures see BW18:466–72 and Construction. See video called Ark of Destiny.	Universal House of Justice, Seat of; Universal House of Justice, Basic timeline; Marble; Architecture; Bahá'í World Centre buildings, monuments and gardens; - Bahá'í World Centre; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); - Basic timeline, Expanded; Margraf; - Bahá'í World Centre; Mount Carmel MERGE
1983 (In the year)	The film Heritage of the Martyrs, made by Elizabeth Martin, documented the fate of the Bahá'ís in Iran. [HNWE45]	- Film; Elizabeth Martin; Heritage of the Martyrs (film); Elizabeth Martin; Toronto, ON; Canada
1983 (In the decade)	During its first decade in power, the Islamic regime openly persecuted and killed Bahá'ís. These persecutions, however, caused reaction in the international community. In response to the international calls for the persecutions to be stopped, Siyyid Husayn Musawi, then the attorney general of Iran, declared that the Bahá'ís were not being harassed for their religious beliefs but because they were Israel spies. This was despite the fact that by that time it had become plainly obvious that the attorney general's so-called "spies" could avoid maltreatment and persecution by openly denouncing their faith. The Bahá'í community forcefully denied the charges and challenged the attorney general to produce evidence to back his allegations. [Iran Press Watch 1407]	Conspiracy theories; Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Iran
1983 (In the year)	The Association for Bahá'í Studies, German-Speaking Europe, was established in Austria. [BW19:357–8]	Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; German language; Austria
1983 (In the year)	The Diary of Juliet Thompson with a foreword by Marzieh Gail was published by Kalimat Press. The diary was of one of the earliest Bahá'ís of New York, covering her many hours with 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 1909, 1911, and 1912. It was a vivid personal account of spiritual love and the tests of her faith. [Collins7.2553]	Pilgrims notes; Diary of Juliet Thompson; Juliet Thompson; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Life of (chronology); `Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of; Marzieh Gail; Los Angeles, CA; USA
1983 (In the year)	The persecution of the Bahá'ís of Iran continued throughout the year. [BW18:92; BW19:177–226] Twenty–nine Bahá'ís were executed or otherwise killed. [BW19:232–3] All Bahá'í elected and appointed institutions were banned by the government in this year; most of the members of the previous three national governing councils having successively been executed. The members of a third National Spiritual Assembly eventually all were arrested or "disappeared". In the absence of a national governing council (known as a "National Spiritual Assembly"), the ad hoc leadership group, called the "Friends in Iran," (Yaran) was formed with the full knowledge of the government. The various governments in power in Iran since 1983 had always been aware of this group. In fact, over the years government officials have routinely had dealings with the members of the Yaran, albeit often informally. [BWNS694] iiiii For pictures of the martyrs see BW18:295–305 and BW19:236–46. For a list of resolutions adopted by the United Nations, regional bodies, national and provincial governments, and other actions taken, see BW18:92–6 and BW19:44–6. For a list of the actions taken by the Bahá'í International Community, Bahá'í institutions and others see BW18:352–6, 424–5.	Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Deaths; - Persecution, Human rights; - Persecution, Bans; - Persecution; United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; Human Rights; Yaran; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Iran
1983 (In the year)	The Association for Bahá'í Studies of Francophone Europe was established in Switzerland.	Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; French language; Switzerland
1983 (In the year)	The Association for Bahá'í Studies, English-Speaking Europe, was established in the Republic of Ireland. Responsibility for the Association was transferred to the United Kingdom in 1989.	Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; Ireland; United Kingdom; - Europe
1983 (In the year)	The Association for Bahá'í Studies, India, was established. [BW19:360]	Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; India
1943 - 1983	Child's Way was a periodical published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States beginning in 1943. It aimed to serve parents, teachers and children. In January 1968 the periodical shifted to focus more on children, providing games, stories, puzzles, songs and other material for kids. It was "published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September and November in Baltimore, Maryland. [National Bahá'í Review Issue 9 September 1968 p9] A partial collection an be found at Bahaiworks.	Childs Way; Baltimore, MD; Maryland, USA
Try also a shorter date like or 1983 or 198 try also the Chronology Canada — 1983-0 or 1983 or 198

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