Category Blog | Bahá’í Center of Washtenaw County

Why Educating Girls is the Key to Fixing the World

The following article is from BahaiBlog.net.

Yassin Saar, the creator and director of Starfish International, the girl’s education program in the Gambia, explains what African girls and women need most: choices.

Using her mother as a case study, African educator Yassin Saar persuasively and forcefully explains why the Baha’i teachings call for prioritizing the education of girls. Yassin’s mother, the first girl to go to school from her poor rural village in Africa, raised four children, giving all of them a way to have a significant impact on the world. With that model in mind, Yassin discusses the Baha’i model of compulsory education for all children—and the primacy of girl’s education within that framework. “What African women need are choices,” she says—and she challenges every person in the audience to provide for the education of one African girl to give her those choices.

This talk was organized by BahaiTeachings.org, and you can ‘Subscribe’ to their YouTube channel to receive notifications about their latest videos.

For more Baha’i-inspired talks, visit Baha’i Blog’s Soundcloud page. You can also listen to talks on Baha’i Blog’s YouTube channel.

Circle of Friends Book Club meeting summary for August 2018

in Blog / Circle of Friends Meeting Summary

August 14, 2018

August’s bookclub meeting continued the discussion of our service project, and we began making decisions to narrow the focus and come up with a more exact definition of what we will do and what we hope to accomplish. We have scheduled a meeting with school personnel and will ask for feedback regarding their needs, as well as ask specific questions to direct our efforts. We are anticipating learning more specifics and hope to begin working directly with them soon. More information to follow!

The Life of the Spirit: Prayer

in Bahá’í Topics / Blog

Just as our bodies require nourishment to develop properly, we need regular prayer for our spiritual sustenance and health. Prayer is food for the soul; it deepens the love of God in our hearts and draws us closer to Him.“There is nothing sweeter in the world of existence than prayer…The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and supplication.”1 To live in a state of prayer entails not only uttering sacred verses in moments of devotion; it suggests, too, that throughout the day we should turn our hearts towards God.

Circle of Friends Book Club meeting summary for July 2018

in Blog / Circle of Friends Meeting Summary

July 11, 2018

Bookclub members took some time away from reading and discussing all kinds of books to investigate ideas for a service project in order to give back to the community. Although we are still discussing the ideas that came up, we have decided to emphasize books in whatever we do. We have several options to pursue, including a short-term project for local community development, and something longer term that would involve children and support their involvement with books in school and at home. Literacy in general and love of books are ideas we hope to foster. More details will follow as the project develops. Stay tuned!

Circle of Friends Book Club meeting summary for June 2018

in Blog / Circle of Friends Meeting Summary

June 13, 2018

June’s meeting was a discussion of the book The Anvil of the Spirit by Morris Taylor.

Book club members observed that overall, the book describes a way to revitalize Feast in Baha’i communities by encouraging members to try a variety of different approaches. They felt that the book was compelling, and saw it as having an impact in many ways. It offers a toolkit of ideas and methods to help with challenges in the community, personal lives, relationships, and at work. Many of the ideas emphasized the importance of relationships, and of specific tools such as listening, humor, building trust, and resolving conflict. Discussion participants felt that the ideas, methods, and techniques presented were applicable in their own lives as well as the Baha’i community at large.

Spirit prevailed at the Race Unity Day picnic in Chelsea

in Blog / Community News / Events

A small group of stalwart friends met to celebrate Race Unity Day in Chelsea on Saturday, June 9th, 2018. A lovely selection of potluck offerings was laid out under the shelter at Pierce Park on Main Street. The rain didn’t discourage the joyful, loving gathering. A local person, attracted by newspaper announcements, came to share in the event. The beauty and peace of the park added to the warmth of the afternoon. As a bonus, our 10 foot long banner reading “So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth… – Baha’u’llah” was visible from Main Street.

It was really a nice afternoon and so nice to have a friend come because she’s dedicated to racial justice!

The Life of the Spirit: Character and Conduct

in Bahá’í Topics / Blog

The following article is from bahai.org.

Central to the spiritual life is the development of spiritual qualities that assist each of us in our eternal journey towards God. In this world, the cultivation of such qualities is inseparable from an ongoing refinement of our conduct in which our actions increasingly come to reflect the nobility and integrity with which every human being is endowed. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states:

“We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.”

Circle of Friends Book Club meeting summary for May 2018

in Blog / Circle of Friends Meeting Summary

May 9, 2018

Our last meeting included a reflection on our previous six months, and planning for the rest of the year. The group was positive about the use of themes in our book selections, and decided to continue their use. Members felt that use of themes encouraged expanded variety of both books and genres, and were hopeful that this variety could appeal to non-Baha’is as well as Baha’i members. Reflection also included a discussion of suggestions to attract more members and increase participation, including holding more events (such as the author lecture held last year), announcing the bookclub more often at events to increase awareness, calling people with personal invitations, and ensuring that all types of announcements/invitations are clear that the bookclub is not specifically a Baha’i book club.

The Gate: Dawn of the Baha’i Faith trailer and movie info

in Bahá’í Topics / Blog / News

There has been a lot of excitement about the release of the film The Gate: Dawn of the Baha’i Faith, so we’ve collected some links about the film to share with your friends. In the Detroit area, the film will be televised on June 24, 2018 at 2pm on WXYZ-TV (Channel 7). The Baha’i Center of Washtenaw County will also be hosting a movie night featuring the film, so keep in touch for more details!

About the Film (from thegatefilm.com)

In the midst of religious intolerance and extremism, one religion—the Bahá’í Faith—offers a path toward world peace by advocating the oneness of humanity’s major religions. Now, this groundbreaking documentary tells the amazing, little-known story of the origins of the Bahá’í Faith.

The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith recounts the founding of this new world religion in Persia by a Prophet known as The Báb. In the mid-1800s, Jews, Christians and Muslims alike were awaiting the imminent arrival of a Divine Messenger. Beginning in 1844, the Báb’s message, which included then-controversial ideas like the oneness of major religions and the empowerment of women, spread like wildfire across the region amidst this religious climate.

However, His groundbreaking new message presented a threat to religious and political leaders of the time, resulting in relentless persecution of the Báb and His followers. The Báb’s message ultimately triumphed with a growing number of faithful; today, the Bahá’í religion is practiced throughout the world by over five million people.

Combining dramatic reenactments with interviews of renowned historians, religious scholars and Bahá’í Faith experts, The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith celebrates the brief, exciting life of a prophet and the indelible impact His message continues to have on the world today.

Circle of Friends Book Club meeting summary for April 2018

in Blog / Circle of Friends Meeting Summary

April 11, 2018

Our last meeting was a discussion of The Saddlebag, a book by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani. It is based on an anecdote about the theft of a saddlebag from the Bab, recounted in The Dawn-Breakers (pg. 103). Ms. Nakhjavani imagines the travels of the saddlebag after the theft, and how each person coming in contact with it, and the writings it contains, is affected.

Bookclub members were quick to point out the many Baha’i references contained in the story, which also has characters from most, if not all, of the current world faiths. As the setting is the area around Mecca and Medina, readers also discussed the many cultural references, some of which were understandable to western readers, and some of which were not. For example, the Bride is bringing her dowry along, marriage is arranged, and a slave is present. Superstitions play a part in the plot, but there are also occasions of apparent precognition or “sight”.