TW Newsletter Number 11 - January 2010
Welcome to the January 2010 Treasures of Wonderment Newsletter, an online magazine promoting positive change through creative living. A collection of stories, presented in ENGLISH and in FRENCH, from people around the world who help us think outside the box, become innovative people and take us beyond our limits to make a difference. During the months of January and February, 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. We believe that until the Bahá'ís of Iran are free and their dignity restored, nobody will be free and safe in Iran.
IN THIS ISSUE
Use of Coerced Confessions
Bahá'ís condemn lack of due process at trial in Iran - The Bahá'í International Community has issued a statement condemning the trial of 16 individuals in Iran yesterday as a "violation of all internationally accepted standards of legal due process." - Read more...
Beads of Compassion by Janet Ruhe-Schoen
For each of you, from your confreres worldwide:
a necklace of tears -- blue beads of compassion,
resignation, hope -- blue beads and soft blue feathers. Read more...
Harmonies for Heart and Soul
Choral Festival gets better from year to year at the Bahá'í House of Worship for the North American Continent. [Watch Choral est Audio SlideShow - Interviews with participants of the 3rd Annual Choral Festival including music director Van Gilmer.] Read more...
We Will Take The Staircase by Kimia Ferdowsi
Under the Staircase - Conflict and strife are hardly rarities in this writhing world of ours. Within every border and beneath every roof an afflicted humanity cowers. How do we begin to categorize the burden we all directly or indirectly share? Read more...
The World Is Watching In Horror
INDIA - TV program on the persecution of the Baha'is in Iran aired in Indian TV news channel twice on Sunday January 24 and Monday January 25. It includes a phone interview with Shirin Ebadi. Iran trying to wipe out Baha'i Culture. [Watch TV Program - Iran: Baha'i Persecution Part 1, 2, 3, 4] Read more...
A lesson of Courage and Selflessness
Haiti - Isabelle Jeanson has worked in communications with Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) since 2003. She has spent time with MSF missions in Colombia, Russia, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea, and she served as an emergency press officer in Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami. Read more...
Brother Worries
For as long as Bahaism has existed, the forebears of Rezvan Tavakkoli have abided by it. And over the generations, since the faith’s origin 166 years ago, Mr. Tavakkoli’s people have paid the price of their devotion. Read more...
Ten Baha'is Have Virtually Disappeared in January
Concern is growing over the lack of information about the status of 10 Baha'is who were arrested earlier this month in Iran. In addition to worry about their safety, there are fears that charges against these 10 will be used to create false evidence in court against the seven Baha'i leaders who have been held since 2008 and whose trial is set to resume on 7 February. Read more...
Dix Baha’is ont pour ainsi dire disparu en janvier
L’inquiétude grandit face au manque d’informations au sujet de la situation de dix bahá’ís arrêtés au début du mois en Iran. En plus de l’inquiétude à propos de leur sécurité, on craint que les charges retenues contre ces dix bahá’ís soient utilisées afin de créer de fausses preuves dans le procès qui reprendra le 7 février à l’encontre des sept responsables bahá’ís emprisonnés depuis 2008. Read more...
Religion Unites but Politics Divide by Mark Derewicz
Love and peace, or else - I used to look at the world, see the troubles in Belfast and Kashmir and the Middle East and even here, and think that religion was a huge problem. It would be better to go without it. Read more...
Next Baha'i Trial Session is 7 February
While Iran continues to hide the truth about its nuclear weapons programs according to US Intelligence as reported by Reuters on 20 January, the Iranian government is guilty of attacks against human rights and even more shocking the human rights of its own citizens. Read more...
Leurs seules armes sont celles de la raison et du cœur
Une fois encore, le sort des baha’is en Iran suscite une vive inquiétude. Les sept dirigeants de la communauté, la plus importante minorité religieuse non musulmane du pays, risquent la peine de mort, au seul motif de leur foi. Détenus depuis vingt mois à la prison d’Evin, à Téhéran, deux femmes et cinq hommes sont jugés depuis le 12 janvier. Read more...
World Equilibrium Upset Since 1844
Watch a Chinese Language Video on the Baha'i Faith. Read more...
Bouc Emissaire
Amnesty International a exhorté les autorités iraniennes à libérer sept membres de la minorité religieuse baha’i qui semblent faire actuellement l’objet d’un « procès pour l’exemple » à Téhéran sur la base de fausses accusations. Read more...
Oppressive Regimes Attack Human Rights
The most obvious assault, as we have seen in Iran in recent months, aims at suppressing political opponents and protest. But history teaches us that we need to worry about a secondary level of attack as well, the kind that takes place in the shadows. Read more...
L'UE Réclame un Procès Equitable
Déclaration de la Haute Représentante au nom de l'Union européenne sur le procès de sept responsables baha'is en Iran. L'Union européenne se déclare très préoccupée par le procès de sept responsables baha'is qui s'ouvre aujourd'hui en Iran, car il semble que les accusations portées contre eux soient motivées par leur appartenance à une minorité religieuse. Read more...
The EU Calls for a Just and Fair Trial
Declaration of the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the trial against seven Baha'i leaders in Iran. The European Union expresses its serious concern about the start today of the trial against seven Baha'i leaders in Iran, as the charges against them appear to be motivated by their belonging to a minority faith. Read more...
La Poétesse avec âme chantante
Il était cabossé, tout égratigné, et le crieur
Pensait qu'il perdait son temps
À mettre aux enchères ce vieux violon,
Mais il le présenta avec un sourire. Read more...
The Poet With The Singing Soul by Myra Brooks Welch
Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile. Read more...
First Session Staged Behind Closed Doors
Iran’s Ebadi says seven Baha’is must be acquitted Washington, 12 January (Washington TV)—In an exclusive telephone interview with WashingtonTV on Tuesday, Shirin Ebadi, one of the lawyers defending the seven detained Baha’i leaders in Iran, whose first trial hearing took place today in Tehran, said that if “justice” were to prevail, the only verdict that could be reached over this case was one of “acquittal”. Read more...
Baha'is Are Key to Freedom and Universal Peace
Faith, life and death in Iran - leaders are being made scapegoats. We must press Tehran to grant them a fair trial by Cherie Blair, a barrister at Matrix Chambers in London. She is married to Tony Blair, the envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, and former prime minister. Read more...
Mais de quel crime les accuse-t-on ?
Chronique d'abonnés. Je ne suis pas baha'i. J'ignorais même qu'il existe des bahà'is ! Quel nom étrange, les baha'is... En Iran, on poursuit les baha'is, on les enferme, on les persécute, on détruit leurs biens. Mais de quel crime les accuse-t-on ? Read more...
But What Could Be Their Crime?
I am not Baha’i. I didn’t even know Baha’is existed! What a strange name – Baha’i… In Iran, they are pursuing Baha’is, imprisoning them, destroying their possessions. But what crime are they accusing them of? Read more...
Les Sept Dirigeant Bahá'is Injustement Accusés
Les Bahá'is de la Côte d’Azur essentent une vive inquiétude pour leurs coreligionnaires d'Iran. En effet, les sept dirigeants de la Communauté Bahá'ie de ce pays, deux femmes et cinq hommes, détenus dans la sinistre prison d'Évïn de Téhéran, depuis 20 mois, doivent être jugés mardi 12 Janvier 2010 : leur procès a déjà été reportés à plusieurs reprises sans aucune raison. Ils risquent la peine de mort ! Read more...
BIC Rejects Allegations That Arrested Baha'is Had Weapons In Homes
The Bahá'í International Community today categorically rejected new allegations by the Iranian government that arms and ammunition were found in the homes of Bahá'ís who were arrested in Tehran last Sunday. "This is nothing less than a blatant lie," said Diane Ala'i, the Bahá'í International Community's representative to the United Nations in Geneva. "Bahá'ís are by the most basic principles of their faith committed to absolute nonviolence, and any charge that there might have been weapons or 'live rounds' in their homes is simply and completely unbelievable. Read more...
La BIC a Rejeté les Allégations que les Bahá’ís avaient des Armes Chez Eux
Il ne s’agit de rien de moins que d’un mensonge pur et simple, déclare Diane Ala’i, la représentante de la Communauté internationale bahá’íe auprès des Nations unies à Genève. Les bahá’ís sont engagés à la non-violence la plus absolue en vertu des principes les plus fondamentaux de leur foi, toute affirmation selon laquelle des armes auraient pu se trouver à leurs domiciles est tout simplement et totalement invraisemblable. Read more...
Are We All United to Save Them?
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement expressing Canada’s concern over Iran’s continued detention of seven leaders of the country’s Bahá’i community: “Canada remains deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing arbitrary detention of seven Bahá’i community leaders. It is deplorable that these individuals were detained on the sole basis of their faith and have been denied a fair trial. Read more...
Sommes Nous Unis Pour les Sauver?
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, l’honorable Lawrence Cannon, a fait aujourd’hui la déclaration suivante, dans laquelle il exprime l’inquiétude du Canada concernant la détention persistante de sept dirigeants de la communauté baha’ie en Iran : Le Canada continue d’être très préoccupé au sujet de la poursuite de la détention arbitraire par l’Iran de sept dirigeants de la communauté baha’ie. Il est déplorable que la détention de ces personnes soit fondée uniquement sur leur foi et qu’elles n’aient pas eu droit à un procès juste. Read more...
Love Your Enemies
O Lord, grant us to love Thee; grant that we may love those that love Thee; grant that we may do the deeds that win Thy love. Make the love of Thee be dearer to us than ourselves, than our families, than wealth, and even than cool water. Mohammed 570-632. Read more...
Tuer des Innocents Se Retournera Contre Vous
Les développements récents en Iran soulèvent de graves préoccupations au sujet du sort ultime des sept responsables bahá’ís dont le procès est prévu mardi prochain le 12 janvier. A voir ci-dessous la vidéo "Iran: La Terre de Baha'u'llah" (BahaiViews - Langue: Farsi) Read more...
Killing Innocent People Will Backfire
Recent developments in Iran have raised grave concern about the ultimate fate of the seven Baha'i leaders who are scheduled to go on trial next Tuesday January 12. Watch the video "Iran: The Land of Baha'u'llah" below (BahaiViews - Language: Farsi) Read more...
Invictus Latin for Undefeated
"Invictus" is a short poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley (August 23, 1849–July 11, 1903). It was written in 1875 which was first published in 1888. A poem that has been criticized by the Church, especially the last two verses: “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” - Watch a rare UBS TV-Commercial Series "Poems 1997", which has been broadcasted on CNN. Read more...
Invictus Latin pour Invaincu
Invictus est un court poème de l'écrivain William Ernest Henley (23 août 1849 — 11 juillet 1903) qui fut publié en 1888. Il a été très critiqué par l'Église pour ce poème, notamment pour les deux derniers vers, les plus fréquemment cités : « Je suis le maître de mon destin: Le capitaine de mon âme. » - Watch a rare UBS TV-Commercial Series "Poems 1997", which has been broadcasted on CNN. Read more...
Where There is Love, We Call it Home
Avatar takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-Winning director of "Titanic," first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Read more...
We Need A System That Brings Goodness
Introduce democracy and you will solve a nation’s problems, right? If only it were that simple. Leyla Tavernaro Haidarian, an international journalist, motivational writer and filmmaker says "The prospect of democracy is commonly thought of as the culmination of maturation for any nation. And the topic is as hot as ever: The citizens of some countries like Iran are raising the call for “freedom”, while others are celebrating years of freedom from oppressive regimes. Read more...
Are tolerance and Cooperation Possible
How can interfaith dialogue and religious freedom flourish when one religion declares that another is not a religion? Are tolerance and cooperation only possible among people who share the same doctrinal view of the world? Read more...
La tolérance et la Coopération Sont Elles Possibles
Le Parlement mondial des religions lance un appel à la tolérance. Melbourne, Australie, publié le 24 décembre 2009 - Comment le dialogue interreligieux et la liberté religieuse peuvent-ils prospérer alors qu’une religion refuse de reconnaître à une autre son statut ? Read more...
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Treasures of Wonderment - Issue Number 011
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