- 1868-07-00 —
Principal Bahá'ís in Baghdád were arrested by the Turkish authorities and exiled to Mosul and other places. [BBR265; BKG247; CH129–30; RB2:333]
- RB2:333 indicates this took place towards the end of Bahá'u'lláh's stay in Adrianople.
- About 70 people were exiled. [GPB178; RB2:334] Estimate given by Hájí Mirzá Haydar-;Alí is 80. (DOH12]
- See BKG184 for an illustration of Mosul.
- See BKG183 for a description of the city.
- See RB2:334 for the hardships suffered by the exiles.
- They remained in Mosul for some 20 years until Bahá'u'lláh advised the community to disband (1885-1886). Their hardship was lessened by generous contributions from the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs. A charity fund was established, the first fund of that kind in any Bahá'í community. [RB2:334–6]
- 1907-00-00 — The first Bahá'í fund (Šerkat-e ḵayrīya) was established in Tehran to financially support Bahá'í teachers, facilitate the education of Bahá'í children, provide sufficient care of Bahá'í orphans, the aged and handicapped, and be of assistance to students of higher education. [BAHAISM v. The Bahai Community in Iran by V. Rafati]
- 1911-08-11 —
The beginning of `Abdu'l-Bahá's first Western tour [AB139]
- `Abdu'l-Bahá departed from Egypt with a party of four on the S. S. Corsica for Marseilles, Thonon-les-Bains and London. [AB139; GPB280; SBR22, SoW Vol 2 no.10 8 September, 1911 p7]
- Subsequent research has shown that the ship was not the S.S. Corsica as stated in GPB280 but rather the L'Orenoque. See 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris page 6 note 47.
- See BW1:130 for a list of cities He visited between 1911 and 1913.
- It is believed that funds for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's teaching journeys to the West were provided by an oil-rich believer in Baku, Áqa Músá Naqiof (alternate spelling Musa Naghiyev)(yet another alternate spelling Báqirof) (1849-1919). [AY11; ABF295note684]
- 1915-00-02 — A plan to fund part-time travelling Bahá'í teachers in the USA and Canada was approved. There had been a great deal of reluctance to take this measure for fear of creating a "clergy" class but the vastness of the country and the fewness of believers of independent means as well as the impetus to teaching sparked by 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit helped to take the decision. [BBRSM:105, 219]
- 1923-03-12 —
Shoghi Effendi wrote to Bahá'ís in America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Australasia about Bahá'í administration, outlining the process for annual elections of assemblies and calling for the establishment of local and national funds. [BA34-43; PP330]
- See ER223-4 for the response of the British Bahá'ís.
- In the same letter, as a Post Script, he included a list of the best known and most current Bahá'í terms transliterated with a recommendation that this be adopted as standard for all Western Bahá'ís with a promise that the Haifa Spiritual Assembly would provide a supplement. The transliteration scheme was mostly based on a standard adopted by the Tenth International Congress of Orientalists which took place in Geneva in September 1894. [BA43; PG208-209]
- From the June 1923 issue of Star of the West, attempts were made to introduce the voting system although these are at first very patchy. The first books that appeared to be trying to put the system into use are Esslemont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era and Herrick's Unity Triumphant (the latter not entirely consistently), both published in 1923. Although some books appearing in 1924 did not follow the system, from this time on, books and other printed material published under Bahá'í auspices have followed it. [Transliteration by Mojan Momen]
- A list of transliterated terms appeared in BW1p131 and expanded lists appeared in subsequent volumes.
- 1929-03-16 —
In December of 1925 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of United States and Canada adopted the "Unified Plan of Action" and among the resolutions was to raise some $400,000 over the following three years to construct the first unit of the superstructure of the Temple. By the end of 1926 only $51,000 had been collected and the following year was just as disappointing. At the National Convention in 1928 Fred Schopflocher's donation of $25,000 inspired contributions and the Fund rose to about $87,000 by March 1929. On this day Fred and Lorol Schopflocher contributed a further $100,000. [LoF388-389, SETPE1p162-163]
- See May 1937 for another contribution of $100,000 from the Schopflochers.
- 1929-04-25 — Shoghi Effendi made the sacrifice of a priceless carpet to be sold to contribute to the Mashriqu'lAdhkar Fund. Mr. George Spendlove, a believer exceptionally qualified by expert knowledge and experience was asked to undertake the responsible task of arranging for the sale of this rug. It was valued at some $20,000
"Am sacrificing the most valuable ornament of Baha'u'llah's Shrine in order to consecrate
and reinforce the collective endeavors of the American believers speedily to consummate Plan
for Unified Action. Appeal for unprecedented self-sacrifice."--Cablegram, April 25, 1929.
"Soon. shipping silken carpet from Baha'u'llah's Shrine as crowning gift on altar of Bahá'í
sacrifice."--Cablegram, April 28, 1929.
"Moved by an impulse that I could not resist, I have felt impelled to forego what may be
regarded as the most valuable and sacred possession in the Holy Land for the furthering of that
noble enterprise which you have set your hearts to achieve. With the hearty concurrence of
our dear Bahá'í brother, Ziaoullah Asgarzadeh, who years ago donated it to the Most Holy Shrine,
this precious ornament of the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh has been already shipped to your shores, with
our fondest hope that the proceeds from its sale may at once ennoble and reinforce the unnumbered
offerings of the American believers already accumulated on the altar of Bahá'í sacrifice." Letter,
October 25, 1929.
"Shoghi Effendi informs you that the rug can be offered for sale among Baha'is and nonBahá'í
alike."-Soheil A/nan, December 12, 1929. [BN No 38 February 1930 insert] - 1937-05-00 — Fred Schopflocher contributed and additional $100,000 (see 16 March, 1929) to the goal of $350,000 to complete the exterior ornamentation of the House of Worship. For his dedication to the construction the Guardian designated him as "Chief Temple Builder". [LoF 388-390, BW12p664]
- 1951-04-26 — The Bahá'í International Fund was established. [MBW13–14]
- 1954-04-06 — Five Continental Bahá'í Funds were inaugurated by Shoghi Effendi. [MBW59, 63]
- 1954-04-06 — In his Ridván Message Shoghi Efffendi announced that:
The site for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Holy Land has been selected--an area of approximately twenty thousand square meters--situated at the head of the Mountain of God, in close proximity to the Spot hallowed by the footsteps of Bahá'u'lláh, near the time-honoured Cave of Elijah, and associated with the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel, the Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith on that mountain. Funds totalling one hundred thousand dollars have, moreover, been contributed by one of the Hands of the Cause*, residing in the Holy Land, and negotiations have been initiated with the Israeli authorities for the purpose of effecting the immediate purchase of the selected site.
(*Hand of the Cause Milly Collins) [MBW63; DoH175]
In another message about a year later he provided further details. [MBW78-79] - 1971-08-00 — The Universal House of Justice erected an obelisk on the site of the future House of Worship of the Holy Land on land that was purchased in 1953 with a gift of $50,000 from Milly Collins. [MBW63, 78-79, BBD 172; BW15:177–8; DH175; MUHJ83–4, SES18-20]
- 1973-06-08 —
The Universal House of Justice permitted the Continental Boards of Counsellors to authorize individual Auxiliary Board members to appoint assistants. [BW17:322]
- Mrs. Zena Sorabjee was appointed Trustee of the new Continental Fund of South Central Asia, while Mr. Hushang Ahdieh and Mr. Mas'úd Khamsí were appointed the new Trustees of the Continental Funds of Central and East Africa and South America respectively. 8 June, 1973
- 1978-10-02 —
Mobs destroyed the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Mihán-du-´Ab followed by the burning or looting of 80 homes and the murder of two believers, a father and son who bodies were dragged through the streets, cut into pieces and consigned to the flames.
Throughout the country the hostility towards the Bahá'ís resulted in 4 deaths, the loss of millions in property and the displacement of some 700 people.
- The National Spiritual Assembly of Iran instituted a special fund for relief of the needy and suffering. [BN 136 April 1979 p2-3]
- 1995-03-17 — The Universal House of Justice sent a message to the National Spiritual Assemblies of Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States advising them that the flow of funds for the Arc Project was not sufficient to support the progress of the work and if $40M were not raised in the final Year of the Three Year Plan, there would be serious consequences for the Project. Universal House Member 'Alí Nakhjavani was asked to travel to inform the friends of the needs. The 35 day itinerary took him to London, New york City Washington D.C, Dallas, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, Brussels and Frankfurt am Main.
On June 20th the Universal House of Justice informed the same National Spiritual Assemblies that the entire sum had been ensured but that $10M annually would be required until the end of the century. [Ridván 152; Vineyard of the Lord No 11 p8; Sacred Stairway p66-67] - 1995-05-14 — The Universal House of justice representative Mr 'Alí Nakhjavání began his tour of major Bahá'í communities to discuss the significance of the Arc projects on Mount Carmel.
- 1996-04-21 —
- 1999-08-24 — Message from the Department of the Secretariat to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States on behalf of the Universal House of Justice regarding the funding and deputization of Training Institutes. [Mess86-01p689-692, 24 August, 1999]
- 2001-11-12 — The World Centre Endowment Fund was inaugurated by the Universal House of Justice.
"…we have decided to set up the World Centre Endowment Fund, for the preservation, upkeep, and security of the edifices and precincts of the Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith — activities that currently form so large a part of the responsibilities of the Bahá'í International Fund. This decision follows the example of Shoghi Effendi, who during his ministry dedicated the income from lands in the environs of the Jordan Valley for the upkeep of the Holy Shrines."
• The Universal House of Justice, 2001 Nov 12, International Endowment Fund
- 2018-11-09 —
The Universal House of Justice announced that the Office of Social and Economic Development would be succeeded by the Bahá'í International Development Organization with a five-member board of directors to serve a five year term of service with appointment to be made on the Day of the Covenant.
- In addition a new fund, the Bahá'í Development Fund, was inaugurated which will be supported by the Universal House of Justice, individuals and institutions. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 9 November, 2018]
- Three days later the Universal House of Justice announced the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors for the Bahá'í International Development Organization for the five-year term beginning 26 November 2018: Elisa Caney, Maame Brodwemaba Nketsiah, Lori McLaughlin Noguchi, Sina Rahmanian, and George Soraya.
- See also BWNS1308.
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