The Interdependence of Bahá’í Communities: Services of North American Bahá’í Women to Iran

Abstract

Cooperation between the Bahá’í communities of Iran and North America in spiritual and social fields goes back to the early years of this century. Initially, renowned Bahá’í teachers such as Abu’l-Fadl¹ were sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the United States to teach the Bahá’í Faith and to expand the new believers’ understanding of its tenets. Later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi appealed to American Bahá’ís and encouraged them to respond to the social needs of their coreligionists in Iran. This article examines the American Bahá’í women’s response and the significant contribution they made in developing the Iranian Bahá’í community.