Canadian Baha’is celebrate Ridvan [pronounced RIZ-von], the holiest Baha’i festival, from April 21 to May 2. They will also be electing their national and local governing councils during this period.
This period of twelve days commemorates the public declaration in 1863 of the mission of Baha’u’llah (pronounced bah-hah-o-LAH), Founder of the Baha’i Faith. Baha’u’llah announced that He was a Messenger of God and that His teachings represented the continuation of that process of divine revelation which had given birth to previous religions – all expressions of God’s will.
Hundreds of thousands of Baha’is around the world will observe Ridvan with fellowship and devotional gatherings that recognize the beginning of their faith. At the same time, hundreds of Canadian Baha’i communities will elect nine-member Local Spiritual Assemblies, the governing council that manages affairs for the local Baha’i community for the next year; and 171 delegates from across Canada attend the National Baha’i Convention in Toronto to elect their National Spiritual Assembly or nine-member national governing council for 2010-2011.
Baha’u’llah made the announcement that he was God’s Messenger for today and the Promised One of all earlier religions in Baghdad, in what is present-day Iraq, where he had been exiled by the Persian Government. He also declared that during the 12-day Ridvan period, the first day (April 21), ninth day (April 29) and twelfth day (May 2) would be among the nine Baha’i holy days when Baha’is are enjoined to make efforts to suspend work. After His declaration, Baha’u’llah was further exiled to Adrianople and Constantinople and was finally sent into lifelong confinement in the prison-city of Akka in present-day Israel, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He died in 1892.
Regarding the Baha’i governing councils or Spiritual Assemblies, Baha’u’llah said there’s no longer any need for clergy in this age. Instead, he provided an administrative framework of elected, nine-member councils at the local, national and international levels. All Baha’i elections occur by secret ballot without candidacies, nominations or campaigning. There are more than 180 National Spiritual Assemblies and 11,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies worldwide. All Baha’is 21 and older may vote and serve as Assembly members.
Alda, a new believer in Newmarket, Ontario, says “I look forward to participating in this spiritual election for the first time. It’s so nice to see the diversity in the community and the way processes are in place to keep the unity.”
The Baha’i Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent, monotheistic religions and one of the fastest-growing. Baha’is view the world’s major religions as part of a single, progressive process through which God reveals His will to humanity. Major Baha’i tenets include the oneness of humanity, equality of men and women, eradication of prejudice, harmony of science and religion, universal education and world peace.
To learn more about the Baha’i Faith in Canada, please visit www.ca.bahai.org.