Dear Bahá’í Friends,
The Day of the Covenant, 26 November 1995, marks the commencement of a new five-year term of service for members of the Continental Boards of Counselors for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith. We have decided to increase the number of these high-ranking officers of the Cause from seventy-two to eighty-one and are happy to announce the names of those now appointed.
Africa (19 Counselors): George Allen, Beatrice Asare, Niaz Bushrui, Parvine Djoneydi, Mehraz Ehsani (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Shidan Fat’he-Aazam, Kobina Fynn, Ibrahim Galadima, Hizzaya Hissani, Firaydoun Javaheri, Zekrullah Kazemi, Eddy Lutchmaya, Abaineh Merhatsion, Muḥammad Otmani, Daniel Ramoroesi, Edith Senoga, Lally Warren, Wingi Mabuku, Tiati à Zock.
The Americas (19 Counselors): Eloy Anello, Stephen Birkiand, Gustavo Correa, Rolf von Czékus, Jacqueline LHB Delahunt, Wilma Ellis, Tod Ewing, Linda Gershuny, Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian, Peter McLaren (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Alejandra Miller, Ruth Pringle, Carmen Elisa de Sadeghian, Isábel de Sanchez, Errol Sealy, Arturo Serrano, Farhad Shayani; David Smith, Rodrigo Tomás.
Asia (18 Counselors): Borhanoddin Afshin, Fadel Ardekani, Jabbar Eidelkhani, Bijan Farid, Elena Gruzkova, David Huang (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Nobuko Iwakura, Abbas Katirai, Kim Myung Jung, Lee Lee Ludher, Payman Mohajer, Perin Olyai, Zenaida Ramirez, Cyrus Rohani, Vicente Samaniego, Zena Sorabjee, George Soraya, Rosalie Tran.
Australasia (11 Counselors): Ben Ayala, Beatrice Benson, Afemata Moli Chang, David Chitdeborough (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Violette Haake, Betra Majmeto, Sírús Naráqí, Bruce Saunders, Heather Simpson, Erama Ugaia, Robin White.
Europe (14 Counselors): Hooshidar Balazadeh, Uta von Both, Patricia Coles, Louis Hénuzet, Patrick O'Mara (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Nabil Perdu, Maija Pihlainen, Polin Rafat, Shapour Rassekh, Ilhan Sezgin, Nosrat Tirandaz, Larissa Tsutskova, Tiberiu Vajda, Sohrab Youssefian.
The following fifteen devoted believers are being released from the duties of membership on the Boards of Counselors: Sabir Afaqi, Hushang Ahdieh, Gila Michael Bahta, Friday Ekpe, Kamran Eshraghian, Kassimi Fofana, John Fozdar, Tinai Hancock, Foad Kazemzadeh, Gayle Morrison, Rose Ong, William Roberts, Paul Semenoff, Alan Smith, Shantha Sundram. These distinguished servants of Bahá’u’lláh have earned our abiding gratitude for their impressive and self-sacrificing contributions to the progress of the Cause. Our fervent prayers surround them as they take up the next phase in their service to the Faith.
In the next stage of the Divine Plan, which will begin at Ridván, the essential role of the Counselors and their Auxiliary Boards in the operation of the Bahá’í Administrative Order will become more evident. During the crucial period ahead they will be required to direct their attention and energies in still greater measure to fostering the evolution of local and national Bahá’í institutions and to helping the rank and file of the believers to increase their devotion to Bahá’u’lláh, their ardor in teaching, and their ability to draw on the tremendous power latent in the unified action of Bahá’í communities.
The Counselors in all continents are being called to a conference at the World Center of the Faith from 26 through 31 December 1995, to deliberate on the tasks and opportunities of the years immediately ahead.
It is our heartfelt prayer that the exertions of the newly appointed Boards of Counselors may lend a tremendous impetus to the manifold activities of the friends throughout the world.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)
