Squamish's Bahá'í community is getting set to mark the centenary of a visit to North America by the son of the prophet founder of the Bahá'í faith.
Abdu'l-Bahá, who from his earliest childhood shared his father's sufferings and banishments, was released from prison and exile at the age of 68 following the Young Turk Revolution and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1908.
One of the first acts upon his release was to begin planning a lengthy journey to the West. His American admirers sent him thousands of dollars for a ticket on the Titanic, and begged him to ride in the greatest of opulence. He declined and gave the money to charity.
Instead, Abdu'l-Bahá sailed to New York on the more modest SS Cedric. Every major newspaper in New York covered his arrival on April 11, 1912, and his eight-month tour that followed included nine days in Canada.
Since his visit, the Bahá'í community in Canada has grown from a handful of devoted individuals to approximately 30,000 with 233 local governing bodies, called Local Spiritual Assemblies, and smaller Bahá'í groups or individuals in more than 900 additional locations.
Most often referred to as The Master by the Bahá'í friends, he took his title Abdu'l-Bahá, the "servant of Baha," dedicating his life to the service of his father's cause and to humanity. Baha'u'llah appointed him as the lone authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í teachings and head of the faith after his own passing.
Squamish's Bahá'í community invites others to a presentation on Friday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. at the Squamish United Church, 38014 Fourth Ave. Bahá'ís will revisit the historic journey through music, video and presentation. This will be an occasion for inter-faith fellowship and understanding, organizers said.
