Oct. 30, 2005 – On Nov. 12, Bahá'ís around the world will commemorate the birth of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Born on Nov. 12, 1817, to a prominent family in Iran, He showed from childhood an unusual intellectual precocity, although unschooled in the kind of learning prevalent in 19th century Iran. He demonstrated, too, a particular devotion to relief of the condition of the poor. His given name was Mírza Husayn 'Alí, but He identified Himself as Bahá'u'lláh, which means "Glory of God," a title by which He was addressed by His Forerunner, the Báb. Because of His teachings, He was banished into an exile, eventually lasting forty years, that took Him from Iran to Iraq, to Turkey, and finally to the Holy Land. It was there that He passed away in 1892.

Bahá'u'lláh is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society. God, Bahá'u'lláh said, has set in motion historical forces that are breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist the processes of unification.

One of the purposes of the Bahá'í faith is to help make this possible. A worldwide community of some five million Bahá'ís, representative of most of the nations, races and cultures on earth, is working to give Bahá'u'lláh's teachings practical effect. Their experience will be a source of encouragement to all who share their vision of humanity as one global family and the earth as one homeland.

Among the principles which the Baha'i Faith promotes as vital to the achievement of this goal are:
– the abandonment of all forms of prejudice
– assurance to women of full equality of opportunity with men
– recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
– the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
– the realization of universal education
– the responsibility of each person to independently search for truth
– the establishment of a global commonwealth of nations
– recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge
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For further information, visit: www.vi.bahai.org