THE TWO TITLES covered in this review deal with different aspects of the interface between the Bahá’í Faith and the wider world, and the processes at work in both. All religions and religious communities have to work out this relationship, and how they deal with it differs according to what the teachings of the faith may be. Ours is a worldaffirming rather than world-rejecting religion, which makes the meeting points between our Faith and what is going on in the world – and what will go on in the world – very important. Processes of the Lesser Peace is a fascinating collection of Bahá’í Studies essays about something which many Bahá’ís for a long time anticipated as an event but which we now recognise to be indeed a process. They cover a surprisingly wide range while remaining within the bounds of the subject, and most readers will be more interested in some than in others.

Babak Bahador’s paper on “The Establishment of the Lesser Peace” is an excellent overview of the subject and should probably have come first in the book; Arthur Dahl looks at a subject that has not had so much attention of late in “The Environment and the Lesser Peace”, while John Huddleston on “The Spiritual Destiny of America” is particularly timely in view of the way that anti-Americanism seems to remain a socially acceptable form of racism in Europe. Daniel Wheatley’s “Global Governance” article explains why this term and the concepts underlying it are more helpful than the ideas of “world government” and can help defuse some of the fears expressed in the wider community about globalisation and the joining together of nations.

These are the items that most interested this reviewer, but it is not a complete list of the contents of this valuable book.

Human Rights, the UN and the Bahá’ís in Iran is a brick of a book, almost two inches thick and with a slightly misleading title. It does not deal at length with human rights as such and from the Bahá’í point of view – a subject I would dearly love Naz Ghanea to write a book about – but treats them as a preamble to a highly-detailed account of the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and the UN response and its approach to human rights. These are well covered in a substantial and authoritative manner. The result is a little intimidating for the general reader, but a valuable source book for anyone making a serious study of the subject.

THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY of the death of Táhirih has truly captured the imagination of musicians, actors and artists in the Bahá’í community in the past year. There have been new dramatic plays and monologues produced, the publication of the first volume of Táhirih’s poems in English, and special commemorative gatherings around the country.

The latest work to pay tribute to the Bábí heroine is a selection of 11 new tracks sung by Mina Beint, accompanied by the musical arrangements of Richard Leigh, gathered on a CD entitled Mystic Bird. The music is a meditative and mystical blend of sounds from East and West. Mina Beint’s pure, heartfelt chanting of Táhirih’s poems – along with prayers and invocations in Persian and Arabic – is set against a spare and haunting accompaniment.

Those familiar with Richard’s previous work Myriads, on which Mina also sang, will know what to expect – ethereal, spacious soundscapes, sparse and simple instrumentation, clusters of notes left hanging and ringing, conjuring the immensity of space and resonating with the mysterious eternal world of the soul making a perfect accompaniment to Mina’s unique voice. This CD is a beautiful resource for devotional and other meetings of worship and reflection.

The cost is £12 plus £1 for postage and packaging. All profits will go to the Bahá’í fund. To order a copy contact Mina Beint (details in the printed copy of the Journal).