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World Crusade Forges Ahead- Inform National Assemblies East and West that the Baha'i World Crusade, matchless in its vastness, unsurpassed in its potentialities in the spiritual annals of mankind, announced on the eve of the Holy Year and formally launched during the climax of the festivities commemorating the centenary of the birth of the Mission of the Founder of the Faith, is forging ahead and gathering momentum in both its territorial and institutional aspects in every continent of the globe and the chief islands of the Pacific, the Atlantic and Indian oceans and the Mediterranean and North seas. (54:1) The number of sovereign States and dependencies within the orbit of a divinely propelled Order now totals two hundred five. No less than seventy-seven territories have been won over by the Knights of Baha'u'llah during a little over half a year, representing two thirds of the total number of virgin areas exclusive of Soviet-controlled Republics and satellites which must needs be opened in the course of the whole decade. Every single territory, whether island or situated on a continent, with the exception of the above-mentioned Republics and satellites has been definitely assigned. (54:2) Out of a total of eleven, eight Funds have been inaugurated in the course of the same year, aggregating approximately two hundred thousand dollars designed to pave the way for the acquisition of sites for the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkars on Carmel and in Canada, Panama, Italy, Sweden,`Iraq, Australia and India. (54:3) The hour is propitious for all National Assemblies, particularly the United States, the British and the Egyptian, to participate befittingly in the opening of the three remaining Funds ere the first year of the Ten Year Plan draws to a close, insuring thereby the early purchase of sites for the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkars in Cairo, Kampala and Johannesburg. Contributing three thousand pounds as my initial donation to this three-fold, meritorious purpose. (54:4) Preliminary measures have been adopted by the German National Spiritual Assembly and projects have been initiated in Tihran calculated to hasten the construction of the third and fourth Mashriqu'l-Adhkars of the Baha'i world in the heart of the European and Asiatic continents.
(54:5)
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