History

In 1949, Melba and Jim Loft abandoned a comfortable middle-class existence in Marysville, Michigan, to teach their Faith in the land of Jim's forefathers, the Tyendinaga Mohawk Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Despite hardship and tragedy, the Lofts persevered, fulfilling Jim and Melba's cherished dream of bringing Baha'u'llah's word to First Nations people. This, their daughter Evelyn's memoir, is the record of that challenging and exhilarating time.

Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí’s nearly century-long life was one filled with tireless travel and selfless service to the Cause of God. The extent of his role in the establishment of the Bahá’í communities in the Indian subcontinent—particularly in Burma (present-day Myanmar)—cannot be overstated.

The memoirs offer the reader a fascinating firsthand account of the early days of the Bahá’í Faith in the region, along with details of several pilgrimages to the Holy Land and time spent in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Included in these passages are Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed to Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí, as well as letters of the Guardian, who would posthumously appoint him as a Hand of the Cause of God and describe him as an Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh, a pioneer, and a martyr.

Mírzá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Nakhjavání (1865-1920) is a moving biography of an early believer who had a personal relationship with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mírzá ‘Alí-Akbar translated many Bahá’í Tablets into Russian and, at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s request, corresponded with some of the leading literary figures of the time—including Leo Tolstoy and Isabella Grinevskaya. Mírzá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Nakhjavání also had the great honor of traveling with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as part of His entourage on His journey through North America in 1912. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s fondness for this young gentleman of the Caucasus is evident not only in the details of their interactions but in the many Tablets that the Master addressed to him.

For almost two centuries, followers of the Bahá’í Faith, Iran’s largest religious minority, have been persecuted by the state. They have been made scapegoats for the nation's ills, branded enemies of Islam and denounced as foreign agents. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Bahá’ís have been barred from entering the nation's universities, more than two hundred have been executed, and hundreds more imprisoned and tortured.

Now, however, Iran is at a turning point. A new generation has begun to question how the Bahá’ís have been portrayed by the government and the clergy, and called for them to be given equal rights as fellow citizens. In documenting, for the first time, the plight of this religious community in Iran since its inception, Fereydun Vahman also reveals the greater plight of a nation aspiring to develop a modern identity built on respect for diversity rather than hatred and self-deception.

The life of Louise Gregory has been overshadowed by that of her brilliant husband, Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory. This book restores the balance, showing that during her long life Louise achieved much in her own right.

This is a moving biography sharing Louise's childhood and education in England and Europe, her travels to Egypt in 1911 to meet 'Abdu'l-Baha, her travels to America in 1912 and the diffilculties and love of an inter-racial marriage at that time, and her extensive travel teaching in Europe to countries such as Luxembourg, Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.