Baha’i Community of Ryde 1968 - 2021
Proclamation and Activities in Ryde
Some of the teaching activities during 1969 to 1970:
✤ Presenting the ‘Proclamation of Baha’u’llah’ and ‘Baha’u’llah and the New Era’ to the Macquarie University’s Vice-Chancellor for the University Library.
✤ Visits to four schools in Ryde and Hornsby and presenting them with Baha’i books. One of the schools asked the Baha’is to run a class on comparative religions.
✤ Visiting the Ryde Police Station and presenting the ‘Proclamation of Baha’u’llah’ to the Police Commissioner.
✤ A regular Firesides on Thursday initiated by international traveller, Marc Towers. Shahpoor Sohaili who the first Bahá’i of Persian origin in Australia was a regular speaker, he had an interest in prophecy. Other speakers in the early days included James Heggie, Alan Waters and Tom Price.
✤ Friends from Ryde went to Queensland to teach at the Aboriginal Centre in Wreck Bay.
✤ Beverly Stafford (secretary of NSA at the time) and Firoozeh Yaganegi arranged for street proclamation activities in the city on Friday evenings.
✤ Children’s classes were organized by Maria Cox, Greta Lake and Faezeh Taefi.
✤Ryde friends were invited to attend monthly celebratory gatherings hosted by Joe Salter in Baulkham Hills on Saturday evenings. These were events of particularly great joy, with games and fellow ship.
✤ Regular Youth activities were organized in Ryde, these gatherings in Ryde attracted youth from the entire greater Sydney region. This included a musical fireside by Seals and Crofts and addresses from several Hands of the Cause.
✤Friends from Ryde would attend musical firesides at 2 Lang Road Paddington on Sunday evenings. This historic building was the National Bahá’i Centre at the time until 1975.
Persecution Against Baha’is in Iran
Bahá’i historians have stated that the revolution in Iran in the late 1970s was the greatest single impact on the Australian Bahá’i community since the faith was established here in 1920. After the 1978 revolution In Iran, Victoria Yaganegi served on the national Persian Affairs Committee and was involved with settling the newly arrived Bahá’is into Australia, particularly in NSW.
Ms Yaganegi met several times with the local federal member at the time, Mr Phillip Ruddock MP. As a member of the Frazer Government, he was central in supporting the Bahá’i of Iran settle in Australia. Mr Rudock would go on to have a long political career and was a reliable advocate for the Bahá’i community, particularly assisting with the circumstances of the friends from Iran.
Large gathering were organised in the Ryde and surrounding areas to assist these newly arrived Persian friends to guide them to move to areas of greatest need. Dr Baher Forghani would usually speak at such gatherings, he had previously served on the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’is of Teheran, so the friends were familiar with him. These activities continued well into the late 1980s.
Volunteer of the Year
In 2001 Christopher Barnard was awarded a certificate of recognition by the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard for his involvement in Baha’i volunteer projects and his own individual efforts.
Chris in his capacity as a practitioner of Acupuncture and Remedial therapies was
involved at the Ryde Spastic Centre on a voluntary basis treating people with pain and
discomfort due to cerebral palsy.
He also assisted people with disabilities at the hydrotherapy pool of the Ryde Royal Rehabilitation Centre, and is involved with other organizations such as ‘Walk against Want’, ‘Sailability’ (a program that helps people with
disabilities to sail a small boat with the aid of volunteers.), and Bicycle events to raise funds for various charities.
Meeting with the Prime Minister
Following Christopher Barnard receiving an award for community volunteering work from the Prime Minister John Howard, three members from Ryde Community met with Mr. Howard for over an hour.
Mr. Howard was very welcoming and enthusiastic. He asked many questions on local and international Baha’i activities. Mr. Howard also commented that he had known of the Baha’is from childhood. One of the boys in his school was from a Baha’i family. One of his comments was that it is the only religion that he knows of that is united and does not have divisions within its Faith.
A Shining Light in the Community
Mrs. Ruby Kargarian was awarded citizen of the year 2002 by the Ryde City Council along with another very worthy nominee. One newspaper commented: “… the Ryde mother was honored for her work through the Baha’i Community and as a counsellor for other bereaved parents pushing aside her own grief to help many other families. Mrs. Kargarian has become such a shining light in
the Community.
On 8 October 2000 Ruby’s seventeen year old son Shahab was the innocent victim of a robbery in which he was shot and killed. Shahab was a loved and respected Baha’i youth in Ryde community. Mrs. Ruby Kargarian has quietly gone about serving the Baha’i and local communities in
activities such as Baha’i studies for children at the local schools, and also being an active member in the Parents and Citizens Association and Fund raising committees.
Since Shahab’s passing Ruby has founded an Association called the Violence-Free Society that through the teachings of Baha’u’llah we may all live in peace and harmony.
Ruby has also organized four major teaching events since the passing of Shahab. Many hundreds of people attended these meetings including local residents, children and teachers from many local and metropolitan high schools, councilors, politicians etc.
Young Volunteer of the Year Award
The Young Volunteer of the Year award was awarded to Ryde Baha’i Mr. Mateen Kholghi by the City of Ryde Mayor, Councilor Jerome
Laxale, for his work with the local Baha’i community both in Ryde and across South Eastern Australia. Mr Kholghi conducts children classes for the Baha’i community and has assisted families going through hardship. He has also represented Ryde in the annual Youth Parliament of the World’s Religions and has participated in local summer camps to motivate local youth to take steps towards uniting the local community.
Meeting with Finance Minister Victor Dominello
In 2018, Baha’i members met with Minister Dominello in his Ministerial office and shared with him some examples of Baha’i Community building projects in the Ryde area. They also shared with him Baha’i core activities and the Peace Forum (Multi Faith gathering which we had during September 2018).
The Minister offered his unconditional help and support and invited the Baha’i representatives to have a meeting in the Parliament House in order to adopt these kinds of activities at a state level.
Multi Faith Gathering
A few days after the Interfaith Symposium, Councilor Roy Maggio invited Baha’is to a Ryde Council meeting. Six Assembly members attended the meeting. Two Assembly members were requested by the Council to speak and a motion was passed to adopt a Multi Faith gathering in Ryde area.
“The Weekly Times” (TWT) wrote:
“Unity Building Event open to Ryde’s Spiritual Community People from all religious Faiths and Spiritual beliefs will be invited to an official civic “unity building” event under an experiment to be trialed by the City of Ryde…which is expected to be hosted by Mayor Jerome Laxale…The Councilors decision follows speeches at last Tuesday night’s Council meeting from members of the Baha’i Faith, who hope the event will promote friendship between people of different religions.
“All people are created by God and Australia is a rich multicultural country”. Baha’i member Sara Ahadizadeh said, “All the interfaith groups understand that peaceful coexistence means the end of conflicts. For the purpose of unity and tolerance we can work together and make friends and become aware of our high standards and values”.
The inter faith event concept is supported by councilor Roy Maggio and councilor Trenton Brown
“I am delighted that councilor Maggio is here to help spend the mayoral allowance but this (concept) is a beautiful thing and I am delighted to offer my support”, Councilor Brown said.
Councilor Sarkis Yedelian OAM wants to see more than a token gesture. “Just creating a morning tea is lip service” he said. “Let us bring the Baha’i and other groups to our harmony committee functions as well”.”
International Peace Day Forum September 2018
A half page ad invitation was arranged in The Weekly Times newspaper about the International Peace day and the Interfaith Forum 0n 15th of September 2018.
Dignitaries and leaders of various Religions and other Organizations in Ryde were invited.
100 invitations were printed and distributed among the friends to invite their contacts. Ryde Councilor Roy Maggio was asked to give an introductory talk of his choice.
Dr. Sabrina Van Den Bos from the Baha’i community, Rev Dr. Ghosh from the Parramatta Mission and a Buddhist representative from Tzu Chi Australia were the speakers of the night. The speakers were presented with the booklet “The Promise of World Peace” by the Supreme Body and a bunch of flowers.
City of Ryde Granny Smith Festival
The Ryde Baha’i Community has been actively participating in the Granny Smith Festival for many years .
This Festival has always been a great opportunity to proclaim the Cause and create bonds of friendship.
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARDS 2021
Nominated by the Local Spiritual Assembly for the ‘City of Ryde Citizen of the Year Award, 2021’, Yin Sum was recognised by the Council for her outstanding services to the Community.
Pictures below show Yin and other volunteers receiving the 2021 recognition Awards from Clr Jerome Laxale, Mayor of Ryde.
