Message from NSA Sarawak for the Feast of Sultan

To the Baha’is of Sarawak

Dearly loved Friends,

As you read this message in the Nineteen Day Feast of Sultan, which means Sovereignty in Arabic, the following exhortation of Bahá’u'lláh to His followers is a timely reminder to the friends on how we, as Baha’is, should act towards people in authority:

“It is incumbent upon everyone to aid those daysprings of authority and sources of command who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessed are the rulers and the learned among the people of Baha. They are My trustees among My servants and the manifestations of My commandments amidst My people.”
How time passes! We are now already nearing the end of Jan 2012, and the time for the holding of the annual unit conventions is upon us again. In our message to the friends attending any one of the 19 unit conventions, one for each electoral unit, which will be held in the coming weeks, we have urged them to focus their mind, during their consultation at their respective conventions, on the explicit aim of the current Five year Plan, namely, advancing the process of entry by troops.

A total of 38 delegates, to be elected by adult Baha’is in the coming unit conventions, will attend the annual National Convention to be held this coming Ridvan, where they will play the role of electing the 9 members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sarawak, the highest administrative body for the Baha’i community of Sarawak. As electors of membership of this body, the delegates play a very important role indeed!

Likewise, each and every adult Baha’i also plays a very important role in his/her respective unit convention as he/she will elect the delegate(s) from his/her electoral unit. Therefore, when the date and venue for the unit convention for an electoral unit have been fixed, all adult Baha’is in that unit should make great effort to attend and complete the important task of electing their delegate(s).

It behooves us to again stress to the friends the spiritual character of Baha’i election, where nomination and canvassing are not allowed. “Any form of intrigue, deception, collusion and compulsion must be stopped and is forbidden,” so stated our beloved Guardian in a letter to a Local Spiritual Assembly. In another letter, the Guardian called on the friends to “turn completely to God, and with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart, participate in the elections.”

As the friends consider whom they should vote as delegates, we will end this message by asking the friends who will be casting their ballots to bear in mind the advice of our beloved Guardian to the chosen delegates of a Baha’i Convention to “consider without the least trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience…”
Have an enjoyable Nineteen Day Feast!

With loving greetings,
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Sarawak