Simultaneous with this marvelous, awe-inspiring interposition of
Providence, at this critical stage in the mysterious evolution and the
resistless progress of God's infant Faith in the land of its birth,
towards the two shining goals of complete emancipation from the shackles
of religious orthodoxy and of state recognition, an equally significant
development can be noted, during the last twelve-month, in the progressive
unfoldment, beyond the confines of this storm-tossed land, and stretching
to the farthest corners of the earth, of the Ten-Year Plan, now entering
upon the third, and what promises to be the most brilliant, phase in its
execution.
This world-encompassing enterprise, embarked upon, three years ago, on the
occasion of the world-wide celebrations commemorating the centenary of the
birth of the Mission of the Founder of our Faith, has, in all phases of
its operation, throughout five continents, as well as the islands of the
seas, gathered swift momentum, and is demonstrating, in both its
territorial and institutional aspects, a vitality, and has registered
successes, that have far exceeded the expectations of even the most
sanguine among its promoters.
The number of localities into which the light of this unconquerable Faith,
now radiating the splendor of its glory over the face of the planet, has
penetrated, has swelled to well nigh thirty-seven hundred, marking an
increase of almost five hundred in the course of a single year. The number
of Sovereign States and Chief Dependencies included within its pale, which
multiplied with such amazing swiftness during the opening year of this
World-Crusade, has now risen to two hundred and forty-seven through the
arrival of the Knights of Baha'u'llah Udai Narain Singh, Frank Wyss and
Daniel Haumont, in Tibet, in Cocos Island and Loyalty Islands,
respectively, as well as through the opening of Laos and Cambodia and of
the Islands of Pemba, Fernando Po, Trinidad and Corisco--territories not
included in the provisions of the Ten-Year Plan,--and as a result of
information recently received indicating the presence of a few believers
in the Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The number of local
Spiritual Assemblies now functioning throughout the length and breadth of
the Baha'i World exceeds nine hundred. Every single country listed in the
Plan within the confines of every continent of the globe, with the
exception of those within the Soviet Orbit, are now opened to the Faith.
All islands figuring in that Plan, over seventy in number, situated in the
Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Indian Oceans, in the Mediterranean and the
North Sea, have, likewise been opened except Nicobar Islands, Chagos
Archipelago, Hainan Island, Sakhalin Island, Spitzbergen and Anticosti
Island. The number of the islands of the globe to which the Message of
Baha'u'llah has been carried since its inception now totals ninety-eight.
In the Pacific Ocean alone the number of opened territories is now over
forty, while the number of localities where Baha'is reside exceeds one
hundred and seventy. The number of languages into which Baha'i literature
has been and is being translated has now reached one hundred and ninety,
no less than thirty-four of which are to be regarded as supplementary to
those included in the provisions of the Plan.