Treasures of Wonderment

During the first months of 2010, Treasures of Wonderment will continue to bring you up-to-the-minute coverage of the Iranian  Bahá'í Trial because it is about Justice and Human Rights for all our friends in Iran and around the world. 

Story by Bryce Longton, October 16, 2009 - Forget the High Line -- go check out the newly opened Poughkeepsie Bridge's Walkway Over the Hudson this weekend. After decades of disrepair, the bridge has finally re-opened and holds the honor of being the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.

Omid Djalili: 'I'm cast as the Arab scumbag'. The comedian and actor has a new film in which he plays a Muslim taxi-driver who discovers he's a Jew. But, generally, he says...  ['The Infidel' is released on 9 April 2010. - Watch trailer below]

Obama, introduce Esperanto as a Second Language subject in schools. Ideas for Change in America is a crowd-sourcing competition that empowers citizens to identify and build momentum around a diverse range of ideas for addressing the challenges our country faces. From January - February 2010, more than 2,500 ideas were submitted and voted on by 100,000 people across the country. The top three rated ideas from each issue category, listed below, qualified for the final round. Final round voting begins on March 1 and ends on March 12. The 10 most popular ideas will be presented to relevant members of the Obama Administration, and Change.org will subsequently mobilize its full community to support a series of grassroots campaigns to help turn each idea into reality. Sign this Pledge here.

February 29 - The Bahá'í way: Ayyam-i-Há, a time of giving and hospitality between sunset of February 25 to sunset of March 1 as a preparation for the annual Nineteen-Day Fast: a time of spiritual purification, which begins March 2 and ends March 20. During Ayyam-i-Há, Bahá'ís perform acts of charity, give small gifts to friends, neighbors and family, and attend social local community gatherings. A holiday that comes near the end of the Bahá'í calendar, which is composed of 19 months of 19 days each, totaling 361 days.  Happy Ayyam-i-Há!' celebration of World Music, Song & Dance - see below a video by Josian Dholah of Mauritus Island.

Oh hummingbird, mankind was waiting for you to come flying along. (video below)
Heavenly songbird, we were so wrong. We've harmed you.
Oh hummingbird, lend us your wings.
Let us soar in the atmosphere of Abha.
Lift us up to the heaven of holiness,
oh source of our being, oh hummingbird.

February 23, 2010 (HRW) New York - The Iranian government should immediately stop harassing and arbitrarily detaining members of the Baha'i community, Human Rights Watch said today. The detention of 13 Baha'is on February 10 and 11 follows the arrest of 13 others in early January. The government alleges that those arrested in January helped to organize recent anti-government demonstrations but has not made public any charges against those detained in February. These arrests come during a broad government crackdown on opposition activists.

TW:  The Secret Peace is finally here! What inspired you to write such a book, Jesse? Tell us more about your research and message. 

JR: "Over the past decade, I increasingly began to sense trends that were not made explicit in the media. I would read articles here and there that seemed to indicate positive trends in the world. Once I started to look for that pattern, I focused on seeing the big picture. I learned that the story of history is one of advancing peace - in the areas of health, technology, equality, democracy, and more. I think the message of the Secret Peace - that world peace is inevitable, and close - is an important message to get out there because the media often misses the forest for the trees.

GENEVA, 22 February (BWNS) – The third court session for seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran is scheduled for 10 April, a day earlier than originally announced. Diane Ala'i, representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, said attorneys in Iran have now received written notice of the court date, confirming it as 10 April, a Saturday. The earlier notification was oral.

GENEVA, 19 February (BWNS) – A third court date has been announced for seven Baha'i leaders imprisoned in Iran, the Baha'i International Community has learned. The trial proceedings – begun on 12 January after the seven had been incarcerated in Tehran's Evin prison for 20 months – will continue on Sunday, 11 April, according to information conveyed orally to their attorneys. There are today more than 60 innocent Baha'is in detention in Iran.