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| NOSRAT’U’LLAH BAHREMAND - The Living Fourth Guardian |
The third Guardian of the Baha’i Faith Joel Bray Marangella in his Proclamation of 22 September 2006 in which he appointed the Third International Baha’i Council, announced:
“I am taking the opportunity provided in the appointment of this third International Baha’i Council to identify my appointed successor. His identity is found in the one whom I have designated below as the single Vice President of the Council who will succeed to the Presidency, and thereby the Guardianship, upon my passing, or prior thereto, in the event of any incapacitation in the future that may preclude my being able to continue functioning as the Guardian of the Faith, either as determined and announced by myself or, if unable to make such a determination, as may be announced by my successor on the basis of a decision rendered by competent medical authority.”
Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand the eldest son of Dr Hassan Bahremand a prominent faithful and steadfast Baha’i; was born in Shiraz in 25 August 1942, at the age of four with the family moved to Tehran and grew up there. He studied administration in Tehran University and worked in the Ministry of Housing. After revolution in Iran, he lost his job for being a Baha’i, eventually he moved to Australia in 1988.
In a Letter to the Persian Baha’is dated 6 May, 2007 the Third Guardian wrote:
Be advised that upon the termination of my ministry, the Guardianship will again be in the hands of the Persian believer whom I have appointed as my successor and who is identified below.” … “While it is understood that the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha does not require the incumbent Guardian to appoint a Persian as his successor and that the race and nationality of the Guardian is not a consideration in this appointment, future Guardians of the Faith in the centuries that lie ahead will undoubtedly represent many races and nationalities, the Persian believers will be pleased to learn that the present Guardian has appointed a Persian believer as his successor. His father, a resident of Tehran, had never believed that the Guardianship of the Faith had ended with the passing of Shoghi Effendi in November 1957, as he had never wavered in his faith in the indestructibility of the Covenant of Baha’u’llah or accepted the view that the major and immutable provisions of its immortal and sacred “Child”––the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha––had become null and void. The steadfastness of his faith was rewarded when he recognized and accepted Mason Remey as Shoghi Effendi’s successor upon the receipt of his Proclamation at Ridvan, 1960. His son, Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand, also accepted his Guardianship but had never received information as to the identity of Mason Remey’s appointed successor. Notwithstanding, he remained steadfast in his belief that the continuance of the Guardianship of the Faith had been assured down through the ages to come of the Dispensation of Baha’u’llah. There is therefore no doubt that, because of his steadfastness in the Covenant, God decreed that he would be guided to leave Iran some years ago and make the decision to settle in the distant city of Perth, Australia, where unbeknownst to him the living Guardian of the Faith then resided, and where he would finally discover that his unwavering faith in the Covenant would, at last, be fulfilled and where he would find, accept and embrace the third Guardian of the Faith in person, while sacrificing, in so doing, his livelihood, the painful severance from members of his family and previous relationships with his fellow-Baha’is who did not follow him in the acceptance of my Guardianship. This dedicated, devoted and exemplary Baha’i, Nosrat’u’llah, Bahremand, well versed in the Teachings and in the provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and the writings of Shoghi Effendi and those of his successors, has been deservedly appointed Vice-President of the third International Baha’i Council that I appointed on 22 September 2006 and, upon the termination of my Guardianship, my chosen successor.
The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah – the designated Day of Celebration
These days Baha’i communities around the World are announcing the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah through their local newspapers or internet. This is good, but unfortunately those who follow the directives of the UHJ, knowingly or unknowingly, are announcing the Birthday of Baha’u’llah as October 22nd, although November 12, 1817, was His birthday. Such a shameful mistake is a result of them blindly following the bogus UHJ’s letter of July 10, 2014, in which the UHJ has written:
“The Birth of the Báb and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, have, in the East, been traditionally observed according to their correspondence to the first and second days of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. “These two days are accounted as one in the sight of God,” Bahá’u’lláh affirms. Yet, a letter written on behalf of the Guardian (Shoghi Effendi) states, “In the future, no doubt all of the Holy Days will follow the Solar calendar, and provisions be made as to how the Twin Festivals will be celebrated universally.”
"How to satisfy the intrinsic lunar character of these blessed Days within the context of a solar calendar has hitherto been unanswered. We have decided that they will now be observed on the first and the second day following the occurrence of the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz, as determined in advance by astronomical tables using Tihrán as the point of reference. This will result in the observance of the Twin Birthdays moving, year to year, within the months of Mashíyyat, ‘Ilm, and Qudrat of the Badí‘ calendar, or from mid-October to mid-November according to the Gregorian calendar.”
According to the Compilation Questions and Answers, in response to a question about His Birthday and the Birthday of the Bab, Baha’u’llah revealed: “These two days are accounted as one in the sight of God.”
If those who are running the affairs of the bogus UHJ had studied the Tablets and Writings of Baha’u’llah, they would have noticed that “These two days are accounted as one in the sight of God,” because the Bab also is a Manifestation of God.
“Thus, by the “sun” in one sense is meant those Suns of Truth Who rise from the dayspring of ancient glory, and fill the world with a liberal effusion of grace from on high. These Suns of Truth are the universal Manifestations of God in the worlds of His attributes and names.” (Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 33)
“For this reason, hath the Point of the Bayan — may the life of all else but Him be His sacrifice! — likened the Manifestations of God unto the sun which, though it rise from the “Beginning that hath no beginning” until the “End that knoweth no end,” is none the less the same sun. Now, wert thou to say, that this sun is the former sun, thou speakest the truth; and if thou sayest that this sun is the “return” of that sun, thou also speakest the truth. Likewise, from this statement it is made evident that the term “last” is applicable to the “first,” and the term “first” applicable to the “last;” inasmuch as both the “first” and the “last” have risen to proclaim one and the same Faith.” (Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 161)
Shoghi Effendi during His Ministry always advised Baha’is to observe Holy Days according to the solar calendar, which enables the believers to indicate and point to the correct date and time for observing occasions and events in the season and year.
“Moreover, request communities observing Bahá’í Holy Days, solar calendar, celebrate with befitting solemnity the approaching anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday.” (Cablegram, October 8, 1952 – Messages to the Bahá’í World:1950–1957)
“Announce to Bahá’í communities, East and West, on the joyous occasion of the hundred and thirty-fifth Anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday, the successful termination of the protracted negotiations, initiated two years ago…” (Cablegram, November 12,1952 – Messages to the Bahá’í World:1950–1957)
“Dear Bahá’í Brothers and Sisters: Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your joint letter dated November 12th,1932 written on the occasion of the birth-day of Bahá’u’lláh.” (Shoghi Effendi, The Light of Divine Guidance v I, p. 44)
“It is advisable to use both the Bahá’í dates, according to the Bahái Calendar, and the usual Gregorian dates as well. The friends at present are free to do as they please.” (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 12)
Historians and scholars still are trying to find out the real and exact birthdate of Jesus Christ since it is not written in the Gospels. Christian sects celebrate different dates as His Birthday.
The Birthdays of the Baha’u’llah and His Herald are clearly announced by Himself and His Interpreters of the Word.
The Headless body (UHJ) has created confusion by its negligence.
October 16, 2017
Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand
