Chronology: Date 2009

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 2009, ascending — sort latest first

date	event	tags	firsts
2007 to 2009 200-	Over 200 articles appeared in the Iranian newspaper Kayhan* in the years 2007-2009 that attacked every aspect of the history of the Bahá'í Faith, its personalities, beliefs and community life. Such messages were reinforced on television, in mass marches and in Friday sermons. Under government tutelage, the media served to endanger the Bahá'í's already highly curtailed existence. *Kayhan was state-funded and had a role comparable to "Pravda" under Stalin." [Iran Press Watch 16 February, 2009]	* Persecution, Iran; Kayhan (newspaper); Press (media); Iran
2009 (In the year) 200-	The publication of Debunking the Myths: Conspiracy Theories on the Genesis and Mission of the Bahá'í Faith by Adib Ma'sumian. It was written in response to Iranian conspiracy theories portraying the Bahá'í Faith as a subversive political group, Zionist spies, affiliates of the secret police, British agents, etc. PDFs of the publication are available in English and Persian. Included as well is an interview with author. A hardcopy of the book can be purchased from Lulu.	Conspiracy theories; Criticism and apologetics; Iran
2009 (In the year) 200-	Azerbaijan is a secular state that stipulates the separation of state and religion in its constitution. Although the constitution protects the freedom of conscience and provides for the right to "profess individually or together with others any religion or to profess no religion, and to express and disseminate...beliefs concerning...religion," the government has in practice limited such rights through the 2009 law On Freedom of Religious Beliefs, the administrative code, and the criminal code. [US Commission on International Freligious Freedom - Annual Report 2021 p59]	Persecution, Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan
2009 3 – 4 Jan 200-	Regional Conferences were held in London, United Kingdom and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. [BWNS686]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); London, England; United Kingdom; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Cote d'Ivoire
2009 4 Jan 200-	See the letter from the Department of the Secretariat of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Australia regarding the development of the Yerrinbool Bahá'í Centre of Learning. See also: Bahá'í Centres of Learning in Australia .	Bahá'í studies; Yerrinbool, New South Wales; Australia; Bahá'í centres of learning; Social action; Public discourse
2009 10 – 11 Jan 200-	Regional Conferences were held in Toronto, Canada and Guadalajara, Mexico. [BWNS687]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Toronto, ON; Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico; Mexico
2009 17 – 18 Jan 200-	Regional Conferences were held in Lae, Papua New Guinea, Vancouver, Canada and Managua, Nicaragua. [BWNS689]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Lae, Papua New Guinea; Papua New Guinea; Vancouver, BC; Canada; Managua, Nicaragua; Nicaragua
2009 24 – 25 Jan 200-	Regional Conferences were held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Sydney, Australia and Madrid, Spain. [BWNS690]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia; Mongolia; Sydney, Australia; Australia; Madrid, Spain; Spain
2009 31 Jan – 1 Feb 200-	Regional Conferences were held in Auckland, New Zealand and Battambang, Cambodia. [BWNS692]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Auckland, NZ; New Zealand; Battambang, Cambodia; Cambodia
2009 3 Feb 200-	The publication of "We are Ashamed," an open letter from a group of academics, writers, artists, journalists and Iranian activists throughout the world to the Bahá'í community. This letter had been signed by a large number of the most prominent Iranian intellectuals. [Iran Press Watch 998, Text of Letter in pdf]	* Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Open letters; Human rights; Iran
2009 7 – 8 Feb 200-	Regional Conferences were held in Frankfurt, Germany and Padua, Italy. [Padua, Frankfurt]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Frankfurt, Germany; Germany; Padua, Italy; Italy
2009 11 Feb 200-	An Iranian ISNA news agency report quoting Tehran's deputy public prosecutor, Hassan Haddad, reported that a case will be sent to the revolutionary courts in the coming week accusing the seven Bahá'ís of "espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic republic." For the first time after two decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran officially accused the leaders of the Bahá'í community of Iran of espionage, thus reverting its position to that of the 1980s. [Iran Press Watch 1407]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 14 – 15 Feb 200-	Regional Conference was held in Istanbul, Turkey. [BWNS698]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Istanbul, Turkey; Turkey
2009 15 Feb 200-	The US House of Representatives introduced a resolution condemning the government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá'í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. [Iran Press Watch 1203]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Washington, DC, USA; United States (USA); Iran
2009 16 Feb 200-	Iran's Prosecutor General Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi made the claim that the members of the "banned Baha'i sect" have irrefutable links with Israel and that the seven will be tried on charges of "espionage for Israel, desecrating religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic." His statement was in reaction to the resolution by the U.S. State Department condemning recent events. [Iran Press Watch 1215]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 20 Feb 200-	The UN reviewed the Declaration of Copenhagen and Programme of Action for Social Development on November 26, 2007 and the United Nations General Assembly declared the 20th of February as the World Day of Social Justice. Its purpose was "to remember that social justice is necessary for peace, security, and development around the world" as an overall concept, and then more specifically to promote efforts to educate people about wide-ranging inequities such as poverty, gender equality, and social well-being. The intention was to not only raise individual awareness but to seek responses from institutions including governments. The concept was first proposed by the government of Kyrgyzstan. [Wikipedia] BIC Videos]	Justice; Bahá'í International Community; Tahirih Naylor; New York, USA; United States (USA)	first World Day of Social Justice
2009 21 – 22 Feb 200-	Regional Conferences were held in Baku, Azerbaijan and Accra, Ghana. [BWNS700]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Bandar Anzali, Iran; Azerbaijan; Accra, Ghana; Ghana
2009 24 Feb 200-	The Canadian Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Human Rights adopted a strongly worded motion demanding the immediate release of the seven Bahá'í leaders held now for more than nine months without formal charges and no access to lawyers. Appearing before the committee were the Bahá'í Community of Canada's Director of External Affairs, Susanne Tamas, and McGill Law Professor, Payam Akhavan. [Iran Press Watch 1597]	Susanne Tamas; Payam Akhavan; * Persecution, Iran; Yaran; Ottawa, ON; Canada
2009 25 Feb 200-	The seven imprisoned Bahá'í leaders were given permission to meet with their families. [Iran Press Watch 1468]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 17 Feb 200-	The European Union expressed their concerns that, after being held for so long without due process, the Yaran would not receive a fair trial. The EU therefore requested the Islamic Republic of Iran to allow independent observation of the judicial proceedings and to reconsider the charges brought against these individuals. [Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the trial with seven Bahá'í leaders in Iran ]	European Union (EU); Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Brussels, Belgium
2009 27 Feb 200-	Responding to the public outcry from western nations against Iran for the plight of seven imprisoned Bahá'í leaders, Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi, Iran's Prosecutor-General, stated, "These individuals have accepted the charges brought against them." This was later proved to be untrue. Meanwhile, the seven detained Bahá'ís continued to be deprived of due process and the opportunity to meet with their attorney. [Iran Press Watch 1547]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 28 Feb – 1 Mar 200-	Regional Conference was held in Kyiv, Ukraine. [BWNS701]	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Kyiv, Ukraine; Ukraine
2009 Mar 200-	The Yaran decided that, as a measure of goodwill, to disband all Bahá'í organizations in Iran. This decision was ratified by the Universal House of Justice. [Iran Press Watch 2709]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Iran
2009 1 Mar 200-	The purpose of the Regional Conferences was to celebrate achievements during the first half of the Five Year Plan and to deliberate on the next phase. An estimated total of 77,700 people participated in the series, which began 1 November and continued for 18 consecutive weeks, spanning the globe and attracting Bahá'ís from the largest Western cities to the smallest villages in South Sea islands. Reports from the 41 Regional Conferences can be found at Conference Reports. The release of the film Arising to Serve. This film is a unique historical and inspirational record of those precious moments when the participants gathered to share what they had learned in their community-building activities, to plan for the work ahead and to celebrate their achievements, arising to serve their fellow citizens of the world.	- Conferences, Regional; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Five Year Plan (2006-2011); - Worldwide; Arising to Serve
2009 4 Mar 200-	The Bahá'í International Community at the United Nations sent an open letter to Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi, the Prosecutor-General of Iran, regarding recent measures taken against the Yaran (at the national level) and the Khademin (at the local level). Since the disbanding of the Bahá'í administrative order in Iran in September of 1983, these groups had been functioning in close collaboration with the authorities. The letter reiterated, in broad strokes, the history of the relationship between the authorities and the Bahá'í community since the revolution and addressed the accusations leveled against them as well as the deliberate misrepresentations of the community. The letter closed with numerous examples of the support for the community from the Iranian population.	Ayatollah Qorban-`Alí Dorri-Najafabadi; Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Bahá'í International Community; - BIC statements; Iran
2009 16 Mar 200-	In Egypt the Supreme Administrative Court removed any grounds for preventing Bahá'ís from receiving proper official identity documents by dismissing an appeal by two Muslim lawyers thus clearing the way for an end to years of deprivation for Egyptian Bahá'ís and opening the door to a new level of respect for religious privacy in Egypt. The appeal sought to prevent the implementation of a lower court ruling last year that said Bahá'ís could leave blank the religious classification field on official documents, including all-important identity cards and birth certificates. [BWNS703]	Persecution, Egypt; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Human rights; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Cairo, Egypt; Egypt
2009 21 Mar 200-	In commemoration of the interment of the sacred remains of the Báb on Mount Carmel, the members of the Universal House of Justice, accompanied by the members of the International Teaching Centre, offered prayers of thanksgiving in the Shrine of the Báb on behalf of the worldwide Bahá'í community, expressing gratitude for the unfailing divine protection vouchsafed to the Cause of God. In their solemn contemplation, their hearts were stirred as they recalled the indelible image of the Master left to posterity when, on this day a hundred years ago, having with His own hands laid that peerless Trust in its final place of repose, He rested His head upon the edge of the blessed casket of the Báb, and "sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him". They remembered, too, the manifold obstacles with which He had been confronted in constructing this sacred edifice and His unbounded relief at having accomplished one of the principal objectives of His Ministry. [21 March 2009]	Centenaries; Báb, Shrine of (Haifa); Haifa, Israel; Israel
2009 30 Mar 200-	The first meeting of the imprisoned Yaran with their families took place and was in person. It is customary in Iran to allow prisoners to meet with their families during the two-week Naw-Ruz festivities. A second visit with their families was also granted on April 6 but this time the families were only allowed to meet with their loved-ones from behind glass windows. [Iran Press Watch 2126]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 Apr 200-	Beth McKenty, longtime pioneer to Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada received the Caring Canadian Award from the Governor General of Canada for her work in the community. [BWNS711] Beth, a teacher by training, has taught English in Arizona, China, Japan, and Sakhalin Island, then pioneered to Nunavut where she, among many other things, started a painting project, "The Arctic Youth Art initiative," which has reached youth in many Inuit settlements and led to her winning this award.	Awards; Beth McKenty; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Iqaluit, NU; Nunavut, Canada; Iqaluit, NU; Canada
2009 14 Apr 200-	The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Gale Bond, née Keass (b. 13 November, 1919 in Emod, Hungary) in Cowichan, BC. [SDSC397] See Sole Desire Service Cause An Odyssey of Bahá'í Service: Gale and Jameson Bond by Don Brown published by George Ronald for a biography.	Gale Bond; - In Memoriam; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Births and deaths; Emod, Hungary; Hungary; Cowichan, BC; Canada
2009 17 Apr 200-	With respect to the Supreme Administrative Court decision of 16 March 2009, the decree, dated 19 March, 2009 is signed by General Habib al-Adly, Egypt's Interior Minister, and published on 14 April in the official gazette. According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represented Bahá'ís in many of the recent court cases concerning religious affiliation on government documents, the decree amended the Implementing Statutes of Egypt's Civil Status Law of 1994. It specifically instructed officials to place a dash (--) before the line reserved for religion in the official documents of citizens who could show that they, or their ancestors, were followers of a religious belief other than the three recognized by the state. [BWNS707]	Persecution, Egypt; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Human rights; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Cairo, Egypt; Egypt
2009 20 - 24 Apr 200-	The Durban Review Conference is the official name of the 2009 United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), also known as Durban II. It took place at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference was called with a mandate to review the implementation of The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action from the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. It was boycotted by Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and the United States. The Czech Republic discontinued its attendance on the first day, and twenty-three other European Union countries sent low-level delegations. The western countries had expressed concerns that the conference would be used to promote anti-Semitism and laws against blasphemy perceived as contrary to the principles of free speech, and that the conference would not deal with discrimination against homosexuals. European countries also criticized the meeting for focusing on the West and ignoring problems of racism and intolerance in the developing world. Controversy surrounded the attendance of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the conference due to his past statements on Israel and accusing the West of using the Holocaust as a "pretext" for aggression against Palestinians. The distributed English version of the speech referred to the Holocaust as an "ambiguous and dubious question". When Ahmadinejad began to speak about Israel, all the European Union delegates left the conference room, while a number of the remaining delegates applauded the Iranian President. UN website	United Nations; Racism; Discrimination; Bahá'í International Community; UNESCO; Geneva, Switzerland
2009 11 May 200-	After a year in jail without formal charges the Bahá'í leaders faced an additional accusation, 'the spreading of corruption on earth,' which goes by the term 'Mofsede fel-Arz' in Persian and carries the threat of death under the penal code of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Prior to this new charge they had been accused of 'espionage for Israel, insulting religious sanctities and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.' [BIC Report;Iran Press Watch 2709] The anticipated sham trial of the seven Baha'is leaders provoked a strong condemnation throughout the world press. In almost every language and in every country of the world, journalists, diplomats, prominent citizens and many others denounced the intentions of the Iranian government to try these innocent citizens on baseless charges of: "espionage for Israel", "insulting religious sanctities" and ""propaganda against the Islamic Republic." [World Press on the Trial of the Seven Bahá'í Leaders]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Court cases; Human rights; - Persecution, Human rights; Press (media); Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 2 – 3 Jul 200-	More than 20 members of the European Bahá'í Business Forum participated in the Global Ethics Forum, held at United Nations headquarters in Geneva. [BWNS722]	European Bahá'í Business Forum (EBBF); Business; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Ethical Business Building the Future (EBBF); Geneva, Switzerland; Switzerland; - Europe
2009 10 Jul 200-	Iranian officials told the families of the seven Bahá'í leaders being held in Evin prison in Tehran that their trial had been delayed. No new trial date was given. [BWNS723]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Court cases; Evin Prison; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 8 Aug 200-	Two young Egyptian Bahá'ís, Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi, received the new identity cards. They had been at the centre of a court case over religious identification on government documents. Their new computerized ID cards show a dash instead of their religion. They were the first such cards to be issued following a ruling by the Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court of 16 March, 2009 that cleared the way for the government to issue documents without reference to religious identity. For nearly five years, since the government began introducing a computerized identity card system that locked out all religious classifications except Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, Bahá'ís have been unable to get ID cards and other documents essential to day-to-day life in Egypt. [BWNS707, BWNS726, BWNS499, BWNS495, BWNS492, BWNS480] The Bahá'ís secured the right to an identification card, however, legislation still refused to recognize the validity of the Bahá'í faith and maintained their secondary status within Egypt. Marriage and Bahá'í personal law were still not acknowledged by the state: married Bahá'ís who refused to be issued documentation that listed them incorrectly as 'single' still reportedly faced difficulties in setting up a bank account and other basic freedoms. This official 'invisibility' had also had a profound impact on their ability to participate in civil and political life. Bahá'ís were also the target of hostility towards the end of Mubarak's regime and in the wake of his resignation, including the torching of several Bahá'í homes where the perpetrators remain unpunished. {Minority Rights website]	Persecution, Egypt; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Human rights; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Cairo, Egypt; Egypt	First government documents issued in Egypt to accommodate religious affiliation other than Muslim, Christian or Jewish religions.
2009 17 Aug 200-	The trial of seven Bahá'í leaders imprisoned in Iran was further postponed until 18 October. [BWNS727]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Court cases; Human rights; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 18 Oct 200-	Attorneys and families of the seven arrived at court in Tehran for the trial to be told that it would not take place. No new date was set. [BIC Report]	Yaran; * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Court cases; - Persecution; Court cases; Human rights; Tehran, Iran; Iran
2009 2 - 4 Nov 200-	A new initiative of the UN Development Programme and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation launched at Windsor Castle afforded the Bahá'í International Community the opportunity to begin to apply the framework of action underlying the Institute Process to the problem of climate change. Represented by the Bahá'í International Community, the Bahá'í Faith joined other world religions in articulating a Seven-Year Plan for Generational Change with respect to environmental stewardship. Their plan, one of the 31 presented, outlined a community-based methodology of social transformation rooted in the spiritual development of the individual and the channeling of collective energies towards service to humanity. [One Country] During the conference BIC representatives Tahirih Naylor and Arthur Lyon Dahl were presented with certificates from HRH Prince Philip, the founder of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC). [BIC History 2009]	United Nations; Bahá'í International Community; - Institute process; Tahirih Naylor; Arthur Dahl; Windsor Castle, England
2009 24 Nov 200-	In a message the Universal House of Justice called on the Bahá'ís in Iran to active participation in the affairs of Iran, its reconstruction, and in the improvement of its social conditions notwithstanding the current threatening conditions facing them and to collaborate actively with other Iranians who are active in the areas of social development without taking part in any of the many Iranian political groups. The Universal House of Justice asked the Bahá'ís of Iran to search for the foundations of sustainable social and cultural advancement in their consultation at the family and community level, through an emphasis on the role of the family in children's education, through a true understanding of justice and service to mankind. The message included a translation of the compilation on Family Life originally included with an English message from the Universal House of Justice.	- Compilations; Family; Social action; Universal House of Justice, Letters and messages; Iran
2009 3 - 9 Dec 200-	The 2009 Parliament was convened with the theme Make a World of Difference: Hearing Each Other, Healing the Earth with 6,000 participants. Environmental issues were prominently featured and the Convening included an Assembly of Indigenous Elders from different parts of the world in dialogue with Australian Aboriginal Elders. [Melbourne 2009]	Parliament of the World's Religions; Melbourne, Australia; Australia
2009 7 – 18 Dec 200-	The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference raised climate change policy to the highest political level. Close to 115 world leaders attended the high-level segment, making it one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever outside UN headquarters in New York. More than 40,000 people, representing governments, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, media and UN agencies applied for accreditation. The delegation of the Bahá'í International Community led by Tahirih Naylor, registered with the United Nations as an international nongovernmental organization, comprised some 21 people. [BWNS742; BIC History 2009] United Nations Climate Change Conference.	Climate change; Environment; United Nations; United Nations conferences; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Copenhagen Summit; Bahá'í International Community; Copenhagen, Denmark; Denmark
2009 15 Dec 200-	The Universal House of Justice gave a progress report on the work that was being done at the World Centre. The International Archives Building was reopened for visits by pilgrims after a three-year programme for its restoration and improvement. The exterior stonework was repaired. The foundations of the building have been waterproofed, and the entire structure made earthquake resistant through incorporation within it of a reinforced concrete and steel frame, not visible to visitors, extending from the foundations to the roof level. Interior improvements included installation of an attractive granite floor at the main level; use of high-quality display cabinets similar to the original cabinets, designed to ensure preservation of the objects on display far into the future; development of basement facilities for receiving pilgrims; provision of means for persons with a physical disability to have access to the building; and installation of complete environmental, safety, and security systems. Progress was made with the restoration of the edifice of the Shrine of the Báb. A comprehensive programme for the structural reinforcement of the original building and the superstructure for earthquake resistance was nearing completion. Restoration and repair work to the exterior stonework and the ornamental metal balustrades was ongoing. Work was advancing on the preparation for use by pilgrims and other visitors of the three rooms on the southern side of the Shrine, and arrangements were being made for restoration of the dome and replacement of its golden tiles to recover the original lustre. Installation of a new electrical and environmental control system was in progress. In the Akka work was continuing in both the Riḍván Garden and the newly acquired land surrounding the resting-place of Bahá'u'lláh, the Qiblih of the Bahá'í world. [15 December 2009]	- Bahá'í World Centre; International Archives Building (Haifa); Ridván garden (Akká); - Restoration and renovation; - Bahá'í World Centre; Haifa, Israel; Akka, Israel


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