Members of the External Advisory Committee (EAC) for Religious Freedom . © DFATD Toronto, Ontario, 24 July 2015 (CBNS) — The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently announced the establishment of an External Advisory Committee on religious freedom. The committee is comprised of 23 members from a variety of Canadian faith and belief communities, including the Director of Government Relations for the Baha’i Community of Canada, Corinne Box.

The Baha’i member was appointed by the government to serve as the vice-chair of the Advisory Committee. Father Raymond J. de Souza, a Roman Catholic priest from Kingston, was appointed chair and Malik Talib, President of the Aga Khan Council for Canada, was appointed as a second vice chair.

The shrine of the Bab in Haifa, Israël. © Aaron Morgulis Toronto, Ontario, 7 July 2015 (CBNS) — This year July 10th marks the 165th anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb-- the first of the twin Prophet figures of the Bahá’í Faith. For the Bahá’í community the Martyrdom of the Báb is a holy day commemorated annually by Bahá’ís across Canada, and the world over.

The title the “Báb” translates literally from Arabic to the “Gate” -- a symbol denoting the means through which humankind comes into relation with the Divine, and humankind's entry into a new era of spiritual, social, moral, and scientific enlightenment. The Báb, whose given name was “Siyyid-Ali Muhammad” was born in 1819 in the City of Shiraz, Iran. Raised by His maternal uncle, the Báb was a merchant of textiles. As a child the Báb was distinguished among His peers for the acuity of His mind, the temperance of His character, and His outstanding piety and devotion.

The shrine of the Bab at night in Haifa, Israel. © Baha'i International Community Toronto, Ontario, 22 May 2015 (CBNS) — On May 24th, Baha’i communities in Canada and around the world celebrate a holy day commemorating the very beginning of the Baha’i Faith, a day known to Baha’is as the Declaration of the Báb.

The Bahá’í Faith began with the mission of two divine messengers, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. The Báb was the Herald who prepared the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.

Official campaign logo: Seven Days in Remembrance of Seven Years for the Seven Baha’i Leaders. © Baha'i International Community Toronto, Ontario, 13 May 2015 (CBNS) — Several prominent Canadians, have added their “voice” to the global campaign Seven Days in Remembrance of Seven Years for the Seven Baha’i Leaders. Coordinated by the Baha’i International Community, the campaign calls for the immediate release of the seven Iranian Baha’i leaders now in their seventh year of incarceration in Iran. Over the past week many Canadian artists, journalists, parliamentarians and authors including Margaret Atwood and John Raulston Saul, have supported the campaign on Twitter, through the hashtag #7bahais7years.

The campaign is scheduled to run from the 14 of May to the 21 of May and will highlight the arrests of the seven Baha’i leaders in 2008 and the fact that 90 other Baha’is are also prisoners of conscience in Iran. During this week events around the world will recall the wrongful arrest and imprisonment of Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm. One Baha’i leader will be commemorated each day of the campaign beginning with Mahvash Sabet, the first to be arrested, and then continuing in alphabetical order