This article is part of our ongoing series reflecting on the key themes highlighted in the 2025 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States broadcast. In the previous installment, we explored the broadcast’s call to unity, renewal, and humanity’s collective responsibility to address societal challenges. Now, we turn our attention to the…
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, following the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, a special one-hour broadcast was shared with the American Bahá’í community. Before announcing the newly elected members, the Assembly took this opportunity to highlight the urgent realities facing the nation and to offer a vision…
In a time when more and more Americans are turning away from traditional religious institutions, they are not necessarily turning away from faith. In fact, a recent New York Times article (April 20, 2025) revealed that 92% of Americans still hold spiritual beliefs of some kind, even as religious affiliation declines. From belief in God…
Throughout history, political and military leadership has largely been dominated by men. This traditional structure has led to a world in which decisions made by a select few have often resulted in war, conflict, and division. But what if the path to peace was simpler than we think? What if the key to ending war…
Corinne Knight True (1861–1961) was a pioneering figure in the early American Bahá’í community, whose dedication and leadership played a pivotal role in establishing the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. Early Life and Personal Challenges Born on November 1, 1861, near Louisville, Kentucky, Corinne was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Moses Knight,…
Naw-Ruz (`New Day’) is the Baha’i and Iranian new year, which occurs on the date of the vernal equinox, either the 20th or 21st of March. In the Baha’i Calendar, the day begins at sunset. (This year (2025) sundset on March 19th). Speaking to a group on Naw-Ruz in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Baha stated: At this moment…
Mona Mahmudnizhad, affectionately known as Mona, was born on September 10, 1965, in Yemen to dedicated Bahá’í parents, Yad’u’llah and Farkhundeh Mahmudnizhad. Her early years were marked by her family’s commitment to their faith, which eventually led them back to Iran in 1969 due to political changes in Yemen. Settling in Shiraz, a city of…
Dearly-beloved Greatest Holy Leaf! Through the mist of tears that fill my eyes I can clearly see, as I pen these lines, thy noble figure before me, and can recognize the serenity of thy kindly face. I can still gaze, though the shadows of the grave separate us, into thy blue, love-deep eyes, and can feel…
Few individuals have left as profound a legacy of service, leadership, and devotion as Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. A towering figure in the Bahá’í Faith, her life was dedicated to promoting unity, advancing social progress, and championing the principles of peace and justice. An essay published on Bahai.org beautifully captures the remarkable journey of this extraordinary…
The conversation about gender equality continues to evolve, and a recent episode of the Bahá’í World News Service podcast explores the spiritual foundations of this essential issue. Representatives from the Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, and New York Offices of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) reflect on the progress made and the barriers that still exist…
