[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16193]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF BAHA'U'LLAH, THE FOUNDER OF THE 
                              BAHA'I FAITH

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I am very pleased to draw attention 
today to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder 
of the Baha'i Faith.
  The Baha'i Faith has over 5 million followers around the world, 
including over 2,000 in Tennessee. Baha'is come from virtually every 
racial, ethnic, national, tribal, and linguistic background on the 
planet.
  On October 22, 2017, Baha'i communities across the United States and 
around the world will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of 
Baha'u'llah--the founder of the Baha'i Faith--and celebrate his life 
and his teachings.
  Baha'u'llah was born to a noble family in 1817 in Persia, modern-day 
Iran. As a young man, he was known for his charity and service to 
others and was called the father of the poor. In 1844, he founded the 
Baha'i Faith, a new and independent religion with its own scriptures, 
laws, teachings, and practices.
  Baha'u'llah proclaimed a message of justice, unity, and peace. This 
message called for, among other things, the equality of women and men, 
an end to racial prejudice, universal education, interfaith harmony, 
and international cooperation. As a result of his teachings, 
Baha'u'llah was imprisoned and exiled for over 40 years by the Persian 
and Ottoman empires.
  Despite the injustice and oppression he faced throughout his life, 
Baha'u'llah continued to promote a message of peace and unity based 
upon harmony within the human race. In every place to which he was 
banished, he touched the lives of all those around him. Even some of 
his opponents, after meeting him, became his friends and admirers.
  Today Baha'is in Iran are still persecuted for their faith, and human 
rights experts have called their situation one of the clearest and most 
severe cases of religious persecution in the world.
  The Baha'i Faith first arrived in the U.S. over 120 years ago. 
Baha'is now live in every State of the Union, including Tennessee, 
where the community has grown to over 2,000 members.
  Wherever they live, Baha'is champion the principles that Baha'u'llah 
proclaimed. They strive to build a better world by being good citizens, 
serving their communities, and working side by side with others to 
promote the common good.
  On this important occasion, I congratulate the Baha'i community of 
Tennessee and across the United States on the bicentennial of the birth 
of Baha'u'llah.

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