Dear Bahá’í Friends,
It gives us great pleasure to announce the membership of the Continental Boards of Counselors as from the Day of the Covenant, 26 November 1990. The number of continental Counselors remains at 72, but adjustments have been made in their geographical distribution in consonance with the development of the Faith around the world.
The membership of the Continental Boards of Counselors as now appointed is:
Africa (18 Counselors): Dr. Hushang Ahdieh (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. George Allen, Mrs. Beatrice O. Asare, Mr. Gila Michael Bahta, Mr. Kiser Barnes, Mrs. Parvin Djoneidi, Mr. Mehraz Ehsani, Mr. Friday Ekpe, Mr. Shidan Fat’he-Aazam, Mr. Kassimi Fofana, Mr. Hizzaya Hissani, Mr. Zekrollah Kazemi, Mr. Muḥammad Kebdani, Mr. Daniel Ramoroesi, Mr. Gilbert Robert, Mrs. Edith Senoga, Mrs. Lucretia M. Warren, Mr. Wingi Mabuku.
The Americas (17 Counselors): Mr. Eloy Anello, Mr. Gustavo Correa, Mr. Rolf von Czékus, Mrs. Jacqueline Delahunt, Dr. Wilma M. Ellis, Dr. Peter McLaren (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Shapoor Monadjem, Mrs. Linda Neufeld, Mrs. Ruth Pringle, Dr. William Roberts, Mrs. Isabel de Sanchez, Mr. Fred Schechter, Mr. Errol Sealy, Dr. Arturo Serrano, Mr. Alan Smith, Dr. David R. Smith, Mr. Rodrigo Tomás.
Asia (17 Counselors): Dr. Sabir Afaqi, Mr. Burháni’d-Dín Afshín, Mr. Faḍil Ardikání, Mr. Jabbar Eidelkhani, Mr. Bijan Farid, Dr. John Fozdar, Mr. David Huang, Mr. Abbas Katirai, Dr. Kim Myung Jung, Mrs. Lee Lee Ludher, Mr. S. Nagaratnam, Dr. Perin Olyai, Mrs. Rose Ong, Mr. Vicente Samaniego, Mrs. Kimiko Schwerin, Mrs. Zena Sorabjee, Mrs. Shantha Sundram (Trustee of the Continental Fund).
Australia (10 Counselors): Mr. Ben Ayala, Mrs. Beatrice Benson, Mr. Afemata Moli Chang, Dr. Kamran Eshraghian (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mrs. Violette Haake, Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Mrs. Betra Majmeto, Mrs. Gayle Morrison, Dr. Sírús Narájí, Mr. Bruce Saunders.
Europe (10 Counselors): Mr. Louis Hénuzet, Mr. Foad Kazemzadeh, Mrs. Elisabeth Mühlschlegel, Mr. Patrick O'Mara (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Nabil Perdu, Mrs. Polin Rafat, Dr. Shapour Rassekh, Mr. Paul Semenoff, Dr. Ilhan Sezgin, Mr. Sohrab Youssefian.
The following eighteen devoted believers who are now being relieved of the onerous duties of membership on the Boards of Counselors will, as distinguished servants of the Cause, continue through their outstanding capacities and experience to be sources of stimulation and encouragement to the friends.
Mr. Suhayl Ala’i, Mr. Husayn Ardekani, Justice Richard Benson, Mrs. Isabel de Calderón, Mr. Oloro Epyeru, Dr. Agnès Ghaznavi, Mr. Zabíhu’lláh Gulmuḥammadí, Mr. Robert Harris, Mr. Bharat Koirala, Mr. Lisiate Maka, Mr. Rouhollah Momtazi, Mrs. Ursula Mühlschlegel, Dr. Leo Niederreiter, Mr. Khudáraḥm Paymán, Mr. Masíḥ Rawḥání, Dr. Mihdi Samandari, U Soe Tin, Mr. Michitoshi Zenimoto.
We express to each and every one of these dear friends our heartfelt gratitude and assure them of our prayers in the Holy Shrines for the confirmation of their highly meritorious and self-sacrificing services to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Throughout all the continents the influential and energetic services of the Counselors have demonstrated the progressive development of their essential sphere of operation. The effective manner in which they inspire both the believers and institutions with a greater sense of vision and direction; the extensive consultations they carry out with National Spiritual Assemblies in the prosecution of the objectives of the Six Year Plan; the part they play in the vanguard of believers addressing the needs of the supplementary Two Year Plan in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, Mongolia and China; the widespread support they offer to the consolidation efforts at the grass roots of the communities through the dedicated untiring efforts of their Auxiliary Board members and their assistants; the steady encouragement they lend to both the enrollment and deepening of youth and children; the generous assistance they extend to the teaching work through the allocation of subvention funds to special projects and the publication and dissemination of Bahá’í literature and audiovisual materials―in all these activities we witness the manifold evidences of the vital role exercised by these high-ranking officers of the Faith in the protection and propagation of the Cause of God.
We are calling upon the Counselors from all continents to gather at the World Center from 28 December 1990 through 3 January 1991 for a conference to deliberate on the tasks and opportunities of the years immediately ahead, as we approach the end of the Six Year Plan and the observance of the Holy Year marking the Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh and of the inauguration of His Covenant.
It is our fervent hope that from this Conference will flow a stream of guidance and inspiration to the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in every land, reinforcing a hundredfold their endeavors to achieve the triumph of the Cause of God.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)
