March 21st, 2007 was a historic day for the Baha’is of Vietnam. Not only did they celebrate the Holy Day of Naw Ruz but they also celebrated the recognition of their faith community by their government.
At a stately event held in Ho Chi Min City, the Government Religious Committee officially handed over the certificate of registration of religious activities to the Baha’i Community of Vietnam. Among the almost 300 participants were several high ranking federal, provincial and municipal government officials.
The ceremony also included prayers, a statement of congratulations from the House of Justice, a presentation of the significance of Naw Ruz and a video of the Shrine of the Bab in the Holy Land. This was an especially sweet experience for the veteran Vietnamese Baha’is who have endured 32 years under the shadow of the ’socialist revolution’. The event was covered by Vietnamese media with the news appearing in newspapers and radio broadcasts.
I’m sure that the Baha’i News Service will pick up on this eventually. But as of now, they have nothing over there.
UPDATE: BahaisOnline.net has posted ‘proof’ of the news I broke here so we can avoid the insults and vitriol of ‘prove it’ that accompanied the breaking of the Italian NSA scandal. I suppose since this involved government officials (as opposed to the Italy travesty which was 100% an internal mess) the media covered it. I just share things as they come to me. You decide what you do with them: believe them, ignore them, read them, etc.
Now go get some pho to celebrate this!
Baquia, Baha’is world over owe you a great debt of thanks for keeping us up to date on world news and the Faith. You are so right I would hear of something happening like the bomb that fell in the Haifa Gardens and yet nothing nothing would come from official sources. In our official NewsOrgan under Obits, there is usually one or two ‘late notices’..which makes a wonderful pun. I presume I will be one of those .
Blessings ! WH
you’re welcome
I think Baquia does the world a great dis-service by releasing these stories ahead of the official Baha’i news organs — which surely know the ‘right’ time to release such news to the world. I’m reminded of the recent problems the Universal House of justice has been having with the managed release of its traditional Ridvan message. By way of example, here’s what my NSA wrote recently in this regard:
One can only imagine the dire effect on national communities around the world as a result the message being circulated prior to their national convention. Delegates would no longer have that warm feeling of being the first in their national community to read its contents. Worse, those same delegates might bring their own petty concerns to convention, rather than focusing on the grand unifying themes contained within the Ridvan message.
So let’s all keep the ‘new’ in news and the ‘con’ in convention — just like in the good old days.
No News is?
Steve - I can only surmise that your rapier like wit has been finely honed through constant exposure to the papyrical delights of this nascent Faith’s AO.
I am reminded of an old European saying - bad news has wings, good news has legs. In the case of the ‘delayed for our own good’ Ridvan message I presume it is on crutches?
Baquia: keep on keeping on ! and how dare you suggest that the bright young spark who is going around the world reporting on Baha’i happenings is writing ‘propaganda’ and being subsidized by the funds..shocking!
Back to my worm composting - hmm wonder if old B newsorgans will give my worms tummy ache?
WH
Baquia wrote:
I’ve heard of pho sects. Tell me more.
ka kite
Steve
yes, I know your NewsOrgan