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Abdu'l-Baha and the African tribe
Posted by Sen on September 15, 2009
Abdu'l-Baha and his critics
You can 'prove' just about anything, by pulling words out of context. A few years ago there was an example of this tactic on a web site opposing the Bahai teachings, called 'Answering Bahaullah.' One page there purported to show examples of racism in Bahai scripture. That site is no longer functioning, although the web archive has a copy, but the material from that page is being recycled by various bloggers and has been reproduced in the 'Bahai Combat Kit' at page 73 (image later in this entry).
So let's look at these "proofs" of racism in the Bahai scriptures. But first let's look at Abdu'l-Baha. When he was in the United States, Abdu'l-Baha met with African Americans, invited them to the homes of wealthy white society hosts, and spoke tirelessly on the subject of racial equality as he toured the United States. He suggested to the first educated and articulate African-American Bahai, the lawyer Louis Gregory, that he marry Louise Matthews, a white English Bahai. While staying in Dublin, New Hampshire, he arranged a Sunday afternoon meeting especially for the servants of the wealthy families in the area, and spoke to them of this forthcoming marriage and the need for "amity between blacks and whites." Mahmud Zarqani reports this meeting (p 189) and says that, in the context of America at the time "splitting the moon in half would be an easier accomplishment." In Washington he spoke on the same themes at Howard University, which had begun as a Black University, and when Louis Gregory was turned away from a society dinner in the city, Abdu'l-Baha had him called back, rearranged the chairs, and seated Gregory on his right. Abdu'l-Baha personally addressed the fourth annual conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People in 1912 (a text is here; it may not be reliable). When he was back in Palestine, he continued to urge the American Bahais to demonstrate their own freedom from racial prejudice, to hold meetings where whites and blacks would mix and socialise, and to be active in fighting prejudice and discrimination in society. He wrote, for example:
Strive with heart and soul in order to bring about union and harmony among the white and the black and prove thereby the unity of the Bahai world … Variations of colour, of land and of race are of no importance in the Bahai Faith…
(Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, 112)
He sent messages of encouragement to African-American Bahais:
As to . . . and . . ., verily the faces of these are as the pupil of the eye; although the pupil is created black, yet is it the source of light. I hope God will make these black ones the glory of the white ones and as the depositing of the lights of love of God.
(Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha, 292)
When Mrs Parsons went to Palestine on pilgrimage, Abdu'l-Baha encouraged her to initiate the first Convention for Race Amity, which was held in 1921 in the First Congregational Church in Washington. A photograph of one Amity Convention below illustrates the practical effects of Abdu'l-Baha's teachings in eliminating the barriers of prejeudice. Local activities went under the name of 'Rainbow Circles' and in some Bahai communities were weekly events, with mixed audiences.
Such knowledge about Abdu'l-Baha's character and the things he put his energy into, and what he achieved by it, is also part of the con-text we need if we are to understand the text correctly.
'As wandering savages'
In the Bahai Combat Kit, all but one of the examples of 'racism in Bahai scriptures' are from The Promulgation of Universal Peace: that is, reports of what an interpreter said Abdu'l-Baha had said, in many cases altered later by the editor of this book. I will come to those later. The exception is the last one on the page, where Abdu'l-Baha is quoted as writing:
The inhabitants of a country like Africa are all as wandering savages and wild animals; they lack intelligence and knowledge; all are uncivilized; On the contrary, consider the civilized countries, the inhabitants of which are living in the highest state of culture and ethics, solidarity and inter-dependence; possessing, with few exceptions, acute power of comprehensions and sound mind.
Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha, 576
This quote is from the beginning of a letter from Abdu'l-Baha about the importance of education, for boys and girls, and the limits of education. You can read the whole letter, in the old translation in Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha Abbas volume 3 (1916) here.
The Persian text is available in a collection of Abdu'l-Baha's letters called Min mukaatiib Haziratu'l-'Abdu'l-Baha vol. 1, section 110. (Also in the compilations Payam-e Malakut and in Amr wa Khalq.) I have done a new translation of the beginning of the letter. My translation doesn't differ much from the old one, but what a difference it makes to read the context of the words that are twisted by selective misquotation in the Bahai Combat Kit!
O ye beloved of God and maid-servants of the Merciful!
Many intellectuals believe that the diversity of intellect and insight is due to differences in education and socialisation. That is, that minds are initially at the same level, but education and socialisation cause intellectual capacities to differ and lead to the distinction between people's understandings, and that these differences are not innate, but due to education and socialisation: that no soul has any inherent distinction. Therefore, all members of the human race have the capacity to achieve the most exalted station.
To prove this they say:
"The inhabitants of one region, such as Africa, are all like voracious beasts or wild animals; without understanding or knowledge, all uncivilized; not one civilized and wise man exists among them. This they contrast to civilized countries: all the inhabitants living in the highest state of culture and ethics, in cooperation and solidarity, and with few exceptions, with acute understanding and sound reasoning. Therefore, it is made clear and established that the superiority and inferiority of minds and comprehensions arises from education and teaching, or the lack of them. A bent branch is straightened by training and the wild fruit of the jungle is made the fruit of the orchard. An ignorant man becomes knowledgeable through teaching, and through the bounty of a wise educator, the uncultivated region becomes a civilized kingdom. The sick may be healed by the physician's art, and the poor man, by learning the arts of commerce, can achieve independence. The follower, by attaining the virtues of the leader, becomes great, and an abject man, through the education of a teacher, rises from the depths of abasement to the heights of glory."
This is their argument.
The Prophets concur with the idea that education has the greatest effect on a person. They affirm, however, that differences in intelligence and perceptiveness are innate. This is obvious, and cannot be denied. We see that certain children of the same age, country and race, or even from the same household and being taught by the same person, nevertheless differ in intelligence and perceptiveness. One makes rapid progress, another is gradually illumined by instruction, while another remains at the lowest level….
The words that were quoted out of context as proof of 'racism in the Bahai writings,' are Abdu'l-Baha's outline of the position on education taken by some intellectuals – a position he then refutes. The bare bones of the argument are:
* Many intellectuals believe that the diversity of intellect is entirely due to differences in education. That is, that all minds are initially at the same level. Therefore, all children have the capacity to achieve the most exalted station.
* They 'prove' this by comparing Africans to civilized people (Europeans): since they say the whole population in Africa are like animals, and almost all people in Europe are cultured and ethical, they argue that the difference must be due to the education available, not to natural variation. [If it was due to natural variation, there would be intelligent people in Africa, and savages in Europe, and these (European) intellectuals think there are none.]
* However the Prophets [and Abdu'l-Baha] agree only partially. Education is very important, but differences in intelligence and perceptiveness are innate. Children of the same household taught by the same person, nevertheless differ in intelligence and receptiveness.
* If there was no educator, all souls would remain uncultivated, which is why education for all is obligatory in the Bahai dispensation.
Abdu'l-Baha's point, in this first part of a long tablet about education, is that the idea that everyone is born equal in all capacities is just not true. Perhaps he begins his letter with this point in response to some idea or question that had been addressed to him. However the concept is generally important because the idea Abdu'l-Baha is refuting denies inborn individuality, and also because some modernist philosophers had suggested that the founders of religions were just super-refined or highly-educated humans, and all could potentially reach the 'highest station' – that of the prophets. So with sufficient education, religion would become redundant. The agenda behind such claims was that religious teachers had been the leaders of thought and society, when humanity was at a superstitious/religious stage of development, but now in the modern and scientific age, the philosophers and scientists (the very ones presenting this argument!) would take their place.
Abdu'l-Baha argues however, that while education is important, it does not give the most educated the "highest station."
'Even the Prophetic Degree'
The argument that the Prophets are not super-refined philosophers, but rather something unique is clearer in an almost identical talk which Abdu'l-Baha gave on 3 May 1912 in Chicago. There are no Persian notes for this talk, so it is a pilgrim's note, that is, a report of the interpreter's words, which is not entirely reliable. The version of this talk published in The Promulgation of Universal Peace is available here but I am going to use an earlier version of the same notes, published in Star of the West, Volume 3, no. 4, pages 18-19. The editor of The Promulgation of Universal Peace allows himself a very free hand, adding things of his own invention and changing other things (see 'a consummate union' for an example), so it is best to avoid the book where possible. I've put the full text of the version in Star of the West on another page. It says, in part:
THE difference, in humankind, from the highest to the lowest the philosophers declare, is due to education or lack of education. The proofs advanced with regard to this are these: The inhabitants of Africa are human, the inhabitants of America are also human, the inhabitants of Europe are human. What is the cause of the difference which exists between the inhabitants of Africa and those of America or Europe? The inhabitants of America are civilized, generally speaking; the inhabitants of Africa, generally speaking, are pronounced to be savage, with few exceptions. What causes this difference? There is no doubt that the inhabitants of America are civilized because of education, whereas the people of Africa have been deprived of education. … Therefore the differences apparent in humankind – in the world of humanity, namely that some occupy lofty degrees, others occupy the abyss of despair, is mainly due to education or its absence. Every individual member of the human race can attain to the loftiest degrees. He can even reach the prophetic degree. This is the statement of the philosophers.
The prophets of God also state that education is most effective; that it does give man sublimity; it does confer on man civilization; it does improve the morals of society; but they further state that in creation there is some difference. For example, take ten given children of the same age, of the same progeny, in the same school, … we find out ere long that two of these appear exceedingly intelligent; some are in the medium, and some at the bottom of the school. …. hence it becomes evident that in existence, in the very existence of man, mankind is not equal. In capacity they differ; in their intellectual capability they differ. They are different, but every member of the human race is capable of becoming educated. They must be educated. The prophets of God are the first educators, they educate the human race generally, they give them universal education, they cause them to leave the lowest degrees or grades of savagery and attain to the highest pinnacle of civilization. …
Once again, we can see that the reference to Africans comes in Abdu'l-Baha's outline of the thinking of certain philosophers, and that the purpose of mentioning their ideas is to refute them, on the grounds that differences between individuals are in fact innate (not innate to races, but to all individuals because they are individual), and also to argue against the philosophers' supposition that sufficient education would elevate a man to the level of the Prophets. For Abdu'l-Baha, however diligent we are, as students in the 'education' of religion (i.e., as disciples), we never become the master. Education of all kinds is good, but we always have to turn to the Prophet. That is, humanity never grows out of religion, however modern and civilized it may become. And we should get our religious 'education' from the prophets themselves, not from what other people have made of religion.
'The savage tribes of central Africa'
Another of the 'racist' texts cited in the Bahai Combat Kit is this, printed in The Promulgation of Universal Peace page 308:
If man himself is left in his natural state, he will become lower than the animal and continue to grow more ignorant and imperfect. The savage tribes of central Africa are evidences of this. Left in their natural condition, they have sunk to the lowest depths and degrees of barbarism, dimly groping in a world of mental and moral obscurity.
'Combatting Bahaullah' misquoted this as 'The savage African tribes of central Africa' and the same misprint has been taken over by the Bahai Combat Kit and others. The text comes from a talk about education that Abdu'l-Baha gave in Montreal on 2 September 1912. Persian notes of the talk were published in the Persian section of Star of the West, volume 5 page 96 (see image) and in Khatabat-e Abdu'l-Baha vol 2 page 233 (download here). What Abdu'l-Baha says, according to the Persian notes, is :
If we look closely at the world of nature and penetrate to the depth of its secrets, it will be observed that the world of nature is defective and dark. For example, if we abandon a piece of land and return it to the state of nature it becomes thorny …
… In the same way, if man is abandoned to nature, he becomes worse than an animal. He remains unenlightened and ignorant, like the inhabitants of Central Africa. Therefore, if we are continually seeking this dark world we become like the Turanians [legendary enemies of the Iranians in the Shah-Nameh epic]. [If] we have education, uncultured people become cultured, those with bad characters gain good characters.
This is representative of a number of Abdu'l-Baha's talks, recorded in Persian and in English, in which he discusses the imperfection of humans in the 'state of nature.' He is arguing against the contemporary cultural fad of primitivism (the ballet L'après-midi d'un faune was first performed in 1912) and, specifically in relation to educational theory, the idea of Rousseau that nature is inherently perfect, and that 'uncorrupted morals' prevail in humans in 'the state of nature.' The phrase "the noble savage" is often attributed to Rousseau, but 'savage' is a mis-translation. The French word "sauvage" means 'wild,' as in 'a wild flower,' it should be translated with 'natural' or 'uncultivated' rather than 'savage.' Rousseau argued for the nobility of the natural man.
The talk I cited above is interesting, because Abdu'l-Baha gives two examples of what people are like if left in the state of nature: one is a fictional ancient people, the Turanians, and the other is the people of 'Central Africa.' Abdu'l-Baha is asking us to imagine what people are like if left entirely in the state of nature. Today, we might say, "imagine an isolated group who have never been contacted, in New Guinea or deep in the Amazon." Such thought experiments are not derogatory references to an actual people, because obviously once we know about an actual people, they also know about us, and we can no longer imagine them as a people untouched by our ways. So the 'natural man' is always imagined living in unexplored territory. In the lead-up to World War I, Central Africa was used in this figure of speech, because Central Africa had captured European imagination through the exploits of the 19th century explorers and the machinations of the colonial powers' 'scramble for Africa.' The map of the continent had largely been coloured in, but what lay within the claimed territories was still a matter of speculation. In the world of sober fact, New Guinea and the Amazon and Orinoco basins were even more uncharted in those days, but in the world of imagination, 'Africa' was the name to conjure with. Moreover, because of the impact of the slave trade and of European and Arab incursions, societies in Central Africa may well have been at a deep point, even compared to their own past.
If we are being strictly consistent with Bahai teachings, both the ancient Turanians and a hypothetic people in (nineteenth century) Central Africa are inappropriate examples of 'humanity in a state of nature,' since the Bahai teachings say that God has never left any people without grace and the guidance of prophets and saints; moreover, the word I have translated as 'training' or 'education' means something much broader than formal education: it includes the upbringing that parents give to their children. Can we even imagine a people without that? The pure 'natural man' without such education is obviously a fiction, a figure of speech.
Emerson said that consistency is the foible of weak minds: a little doctrinal inconsistency doesn't seem to have inhibited Abdu'l-Baha in expressing his views on the theories about human beings in 'the state of nature.' In one case, during a talk given at the London home of Lady Blomfield, on Christmas eve 1912, he first removes the adults from the scene, and then reintroduces the 'Central Africans:'
"…if children were left in the desert, never receiving education, it is certain that they would remain ignorant, that they would know nothing of civilization, they would have neither skilled crafts, nor trade, nor agriculture. They would be like the inhabitants of Central Africa, who are wild in the extreme. The difference between Europe and Africa is certainly due to education, for people in Europe receive an education, while people in Africa do not. This is clear proof that humans are in need of education. Education is of two types: spiritual and worldly …" (My translation: see the Persian notes here)
In these arguments Abdu'l-Baha is adopting a current discourse in which Central Africa was the supposed home of 'natural man,' and uses it, but he is not adopting racial stereotypes about the negro race. We can see this from his own behaviour, and also from a letter with a similar argument which he wrote to one of the friends in China. In it he says:
…the world of existence is in need of an educator, and educators are of two kinds, the one who trains the natural world, and the one who enlightens the world of true reality. If the earth is left in the state of nature, it becomes a jungle or a thorn thicket. But with the intervention of a benevolent gardener, the jungle becomes a garden, the thorns give way to flowers. So it is evident that training is needed in the world of nature. Likewise, observe that if the human race were to be deprived of training and education, it would become a corrupted body, just as the wild tribes are not differentiated from the animals. For example, see how great the difference is, between the blacks in Africa and the blacks in America. One is a beast God created in human form, while the other is civilized, perceptive and cultured. In this journey [to America] I delivered complex addresses at the meetings and churches and schools of the blacks in Washington. They mastered every point, just like the philosophers of Europe. And what difference is there, between blacks in these two places, the one in a most benighted state and the other at the summit of civilization, except for education? It is certain that teaching and education is the cause of the high attainment of the one, and lack of education has led to the wretchedness of the other.
Some Answered Questions
What has been said above about the talks and tablets in which Abdu'l-Baha argues that a natural man would be far from noble also fits the first mention of Africans in Some Answered Questions. The chapters in Some Answered Questions are talks, in response to questions, but they were recorded in Persian and Abdu'l-Baha checked and corrected the transcripts, so they are as reliable as the works Abdu'l-Baha wrote with his own hand. However the early (1908) translation into French by Hippolyte Dreyfus, and the re-translation into English by Barney and Dreyfus in the same year, leaves a lot to be desired. I have therefore made my own translation.
That first mention comes in the third chapter (on page 7 of the Dreyfus-Barney translation), entitled 'demonstrating the need for an educator:'
"… man, if he is left without education, becomes bestial, and, if left under the rule of nature, becomes lower than an animal, whereas if he is educated he becomes an angel. For most animals do not devour their own kind, but people in the Sudan, in the central regions of Africa, may kill and eat their own kind…. If a man lived in a wilderness where he sees none of his own kind, there is no doubt that he will become a mere brute; it is then clear that an educator is needed." (Persian text in Mufawazat, pages 5-6)
The term 'Sudan' here could refer to the French Soudan, present-day Mali, or more probably to the whole region known in Arabic as the Sudan, the 'land of the blacks' extending from east to west across tropical Africa.
The next mention in Some Answered Questions is in chapter 7 which describes the state of the Arabs before the coming of Muhammad. In the Dreyfus and Barney translation it reads:
These Arab tribes were in the lowest depths of savagery and barbarism, and in comparison with them the savages of Africa and wild Indians of America were as advanced as a Plato. The savages of America do not bury their children alive as these Arabs did their daughters, …
However there is no mention of Africa in the original text. The Persian text (available here, see page 14) says:
These Arab tribes and clans were extremely pugnacious and deprived of civilization, such that, in comparison with them, the barbarians or wild men of America were the Plato of the age, for the barbarians of America do not bury their children alive ….
The passage raises two translation issues. Dreyfus and Barney have translated the word biraabir (meaning 'barbarians') in the first case as 'savages of Africa,' and it is true that one meaning of the word is 'Africans' especially those of North Africa. Dreyfus, being French, may perhaps have come across the word only in this sense. But the second use in this sentence allows only the meaning 'barbarians of America,' so there is no reason to suppose that the first use was talking about African barbarians. 'America' here probably does not refer to North America, where one could scarcely speak of 'wild men' at the time Abdu'l-Baha was speaking, but rather to the Amazon region. Today, we know that the tribes there were not people untouched by civilization, but rather the remnants of a substantial civilization that was destroyed by introduced diseases.
A second point to note in the Dreyfus and Barney translation are the two related words tawahhush and mutawahhish-ayn, which I have rendered 'deprived of civilization' and 'wild men.' Tawahhush has the connotation of a scene of desolation, it is a place of 'wild' life without amenities and comforts. Dreyfus and Barney translate it as 'savagery,' probably because the French word sauvage has just the right connotation of the natural and unimproved. Mutawahhish-ayn are the inhabitants of a place that is tawahhush, so I have translated it 'wild men' whereas Dreyfus and Barney use 'savages.'
The next instance in Some Answered Questions is at page 119, in the Dreyfus and Barney translation.
A man who has not had a spiritual education is a brute. Like the savages of Africa, whose actions, habits and morals are purely sensual, they act according to the demands of nature to such a degree that they rend and eat one another.
In the Persian text (Mufawazat) this is at the bottom of page 90. There is no word for 'savages' in the Persian text: it seems that 'Africa' and 'savage' (or sauvage) were such a familiar pair for the translators, that they felt 'savage' had to be inserted where Africa was mentioned. However the meaning is not much changed by the addition, since the context says that these are indeed savages. What is lost where 'savages' has been inserted is more important: the text refers ambiguously either to 'the inhabitants of Africa' or to 'a certain African people.' 'Inhabitants' would be much the more usual meaning, but Abdu'l-Baha had lived himself in Alexandria, so it is hardly plausible that he meant that all inhabitants of Africa were cannibals! The reference must again be to a notional or rumoured people living somewhere in Africa, perhaps to some recent exploration report about such a people.
Lutherans in Sudan
The last mention of Africans by Abdu'l-Baha I have come across is the first in time, in his book The Secret of Divine Civilization. It appears on page 42 of Marzieh Gail's translation:
The leaders of this religion [Lutherans or Protestants] are still making every effort to promote it, and today on the East Coast of Africa, ostensibly to emancipate the Sudanese and various Negro peoples, they have established schools and colleges and are training and civilizing completely savage African tribes, while their true and primary purpose is to convert some of the Muslim Negro tribes to Protestantism. Every community is toiling for the advancement of its people, and we [i.e., Muslims] sleep on!
In the Persian text, the words in question are at the bottom of page 50. The only comment to make on Gail's translation is the reference to 'savage' African tribes. The original is mutawahhisheh, another variant on the words discussed above. In my (still unpublished) translation of this work, I render it "they … are educating, training and civilizing completely benighted African tribes." Mutawahhisheh does not have the connotation of violence and savagery, but rather of people who live in desolate places. It is well translated by the French word sauvage but not by the English word 'savage.'
A number of the early Bahais were exiled to the Sudan in the years 1868-1877: Abdu'l-Baha wrote this book in 1875, so his picture may reflect reports received by the Bahais in exile.
The common theme in this is the importance of context for understanding. We need to read the wider text from which a particular quote is extracted, we need to know about the person who is speaking (what kind of person was this? What priorities were imposed by his or her situation?), and also the social and intellectual context of the time.
Looking back over all this material, some points stand out. First, how much energy Abdu'l-Baha devoted to refuting Rousseau's idea of the nobility of man 'in a state of nature' as related to education. There are more talks and tablets on this subject than I have discussed above, but they tend to follow the same pattern. Perhaps this was for him a section in the book he planned, but never wrote: a sequel to The Secret of Divine Civilization on the topic of education. I was at first surprised by his engagement with this contemporary intellectual current: would his audiences really have accepted, or cared about, Rousseau's ideas? Perhaps the explanation lies in Abdu'l-Baha's awareness of his own responsibilities, as leader and standard-setter for a whole community. He would not have served the future generations of Bahais if he had been less than emphatic about the value of education, and thus the degeneracy of 'man in the state of nature.'
Second, it is evident that Abdu'l-Baha has a very high valuation of the things available in urban civilization (education first, and also law, accumulated knowledge, medical expertise, community religious observances… ). So people who live in "desolate places" – in uncitified places — are by definition deprived. This applied in Abdu'l-Baha's time to Africans south of the Sahara, and in Secret of Divine Civilization he says that the ancient Europeans — presumably in the time of classical Greece — "were the most savage of the world's peoples, the most ignorant and brutish. They were even stigmatized as barbarians — that is, utterly rude and uncivilized."
This high valuation of city-civilization goes with a resolute belief that every people can be improved by the arts of civilization, just as women can be advanced by giving them education. All kinds of people have human capacities, but they do not have equal access to the means of developing them, as they ought to. You could say that this high valuation of the facilities offered by urban civilization is typically Islamic, which it is. It is echoed in the Aqdas laws that differentiate between city dwellers and others. But it is also the way city-civilizations have usually thought, and with good reason. Until the mobility and communication of the late 20th century, people growing up outside of cities, anywhere in the world, really were severely limited in how far they could develop their innate capacities.
In Abdu'l-Baha's talks and tablets, a people living in a state of nature are often located in Africa. In Abdu'l-Baha's time, Africa south of the Sahara was the natural example of people-without-cities: the city civilization of Zimbabwe was unknown, and the cities that did exist were remnants of earlier glories, or colonial creations.
This high valuation of urban civilisation does not mean that Abdu'l-Baha thought people in urbanised societies were morally superior. He is equally frank about the injustice and decline of eastern civilizations, notably Persia, and in The Secret of Divine Civilization he rails against the European society of his time, calling it "a superficial culture, unsupported by a cultivated morality" and a "nominal civilization, unsupported by a genuine civilization of character." He pointed to the militarism and expansionism of the European powers as evidence, and to their habitual hypocrisy and oppression of their poor. (pages 60-61). In a letter that appears to refer to the build-up to World War 1, he writes:
… the most advanced and civilized countries of the world have been turned into arsenals of explosives, … the governments of the world are vying with each other as to who will first step into the field of carnage and bloodshed, thus subjecting mankind to the utmost degree of affliction." (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, 284)
But wherever he highlights the dark side of humanity, whether in natural man or citified man, Abdu'l-Baha does so to urge us to acquire the light. His response to this 'superficial culture' is not to turn away from technical advance and urban civilization, but to combine them with a moral education and religious guidance:
"… this civilization and material progress should be combined with the Most Great Guidance so that this nether world may become the scene of the appearance of the bestowals of the Kingdom, and physical achievements may be conjoined with the effulgences of the Merciful." (Ibid)
Abdu'l-Baha is aware that moral civilization is something different to acquired culture, and that entire cultures can degenerate into immorality. He frequently uses derivates of the Arabic root JHL, such as Jahilliya (meaning ignorant, brutish, culturally degenerate) to refer to contemporary Europeans, contemporary Arabs and others, and to refer to the state of the Arabs before the time of Muhammad – which is the usual reference of the word. This does not mean that these people had been deprived of true religion, because according to Muslim belief the Kaaba had been built by Abraham who founded the religion of the Arabs. Rather it means that religions can be corrupted or ignored, and cultures can degenerate. Africans are not exempt, but neither are Arabs or Europeans. Mechanised European wars, Persian religious obscurantism, and cannibalism are all jahil, brutish and degenerate, and this is a moral judgement independent of race or degree of citification.
~~ Sen McGlinn
Short links: http://tinyurl.com/AbdulBahaafricans
or: http://wp.me/pcgF5-zf
Further reading
Mahmud's Diary, by Mirza Mahmud Zarqani, gives an account of Abdu'l-Baha's trip to North America.
Abdu'l-Baha in America: Agnes Parsons' Diary.
Richard Thomas, 'A long and thorny path: race relations in the American Bahai Community' in Anthony Lee (ed.) Circle of Unity
Selected profiles of African-American Bahais
236 Days in America: Abdu'l-Baha's Journey in America, by Allan Ward, Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1979. (Appears to be out of print)
Black Pearls: Servants in the Households of the Bab and Baha'u'llah by Abu'l-Qasim Afnan
The Power of Unity: Beyond Prejudice and Racism, selections from the Writing of Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, compiled by Bonnie Taylor of the National Race Unity Committee (Compilation published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the USA, appears to be out of print.)
A vision of Race Unity (web site)
Abdu'l-Baha Answers, a web site that collects stories and pen portraits of Abdu'l-Baha, his answers to questions, photographs and other materials.
44 Responses to "Abdu'l-Baha and the African tribe"
September 19, 2009 at 16:32
Again, many many thanks, Sen, for your wonderful insight and understanding into a more definitive– dare I offer?– Baha'i Hermeneutics. I learned so much reading this essay. Peace.
November 22, 2009 at 19:52
>consider the civilized countries, the inhabitants of which are living in the highest state of culture and ethics, solidarity and inter-dependence; possessing, with few exceptions, acute power of comprehensions and sound mind.<
It occurs to me that surely Abdu'l-Baha could not have known of a single country at that time in history where the generality of the people were fulfilling the positive attributes he described.
But in the West the "civilizations" of that day who considered themselves educated, cultured, moral and refined looked down upon the Africans as inferior.
I think that perhpas Abdu'l-Baha was subtly trying to get across the fact that it was a wrong for white westerners to vaunt themselves over the peoples of Africa.
Relative to his description of the citizens of a Divine Civilization, the West, even in that day, was barbaric.
Perhaps you've already made this point of course, I will continue reading through your fine article.
November 22, 2009 at 20:23
I am finding your article very enjoyable, Sen, you raise many worthy points.
Abdu'l-Baha points out in SDC concerning the missionaries in Eastern Africa that:
"their true and primary purpose is to convert some of the Muslim Negro tribes to Protestantism."
I have relatives who have been engaged thusly in the last 5 years. They are good people with good intentions.
But now war breaks out continuously along the border area between Christian and Muslim.
July 7, 2014 at 22:55
Sen: A great defense! By showing that these controversial statements were wrenched out of context, you have persuasively demonstrated that 'Abdu'l-Baha was characterizing the arguments of some contemporary intellectuals and "philosophers." I commend your provisional translations as well. "Abdu'l-Baha and the African tribe" is one of your finest pieces. Impressive, skillful, useful.
July 11, 2014 at 14:55
Abdu'l-Baha is aware that moral civilization is something different to acquired culture, and that entire cultures can degenerate into immorality. He frequently uses derivates of the Arabic root JHL, such as Jahilliya (meaning ignorant, brutish, culturally degenerate) to refer to contemporary Europeans, contemporary Arabs and others, and to refer to the state of the Arabs before the time of Muhammad – which is the usual reference of the word. This does not mean that these people had been deprived of true religion, because according to Muslim belief the Kaaba had been built by Abraham who founded the religion of the Arabs. Rather it means that religions can be corrupted or ignored, and cultures can degenerate. Africans are not exempt, but neither are Arabs or Europeans. Mechanised European wars, Persian religious obscurantism, and cannibalism are all jahil, brutish and degenerate, and this is a moral judgement independent of race or degree of citification.
There is no actual archeological support for the Muslims prehistory theories ascribing he Kaaba to either Adam or Abraham. The earliest it could have existed was either during the first or second century AD.
The term jahiliyyah is used several places in the Quran, and translations often use various terms to represent it:
(3:154) Then, following misery, He sent down upon you a feeling of security, a slumber overcoming a party among you, while another party cared only for themselves, thinking false thoughts about God, thoughts fit for the Age of Idolatry.
(5:50) Do they truly desire the law of paganism? But who is fairer than God in judgment for a people firm of faith?
(33:33) Remain in your homes, and do not display your adornments, as was the case with the earlier Age of Barbarism.
(48:26) For the unbelievers had planted in their hearts a zealotry, the zealotry of lawlessness …
Use of the term for modern Muslim society is usually associated with Qutb's other radical ideas (or Qutbism) – namely that reappearance of Jahiliyya is a result of the lack of Sharia law, without which Islam cannot exist; that true Islam is a complete system with no room for any element of Jahiliyya; that all aspects of Jahiliyya ("manners, ideas and concepts, rules and regulations, values and criteria") are "evil and corrupt"
Non-Muslim societies may also be termed jahili (Arabic: جاهلي ǧāhilī ). One western academic has compared the idea of contemporary Jahiliyya in some radical Islamic circles to the secular Marxist idea of false consciousness – in each case the masses being unaware they are not following their true consciousness by rising up to overthrow the capitalist system and replacing it with socialism (in the case of Marxism); or overthrow the secular state and replace it with the true Islam of strict sharia law (in the case of Qutbism).
August 19, 2014 at 07:06
You have stated that the following are the words of the wise:
"The inhabitants of one region, such as Africa, are all like voracious beasts or wild animals; without understanding or knowledge, all uncivilized; not one civilized and wise man exists among them. This they contrast to civilized countries: all the inhabitants living in the highest state of culture and ethics, in cooperation and solidarity, and with few exceptions, with acute understanding and sound reasoning. Therefore, it is made clear and established that the superiority and inferiority of minds and comprehensions arises from education and teaching, or the lack of them. A bent branch is straightened by training and the wild fruit of the jungle is made the fruit of the orchard. An ignorant man becomes knowledgeable through teaching, and through the bounty of a wise educator, the uncultivated region becomes a civilized kingdom. The sick may be healed by the physician's art, and the poor man, by learning the arts of commerce, can achieve independence. The follower, by attaining the virtues of the leader, becomes great, and an abject man, through the education of a teacher, rises from the depths of abasement to the heights of glory."
This is not the case. The first part of the aforementioned section is the words of the wise:
""The inhabitants of one region, such as Africa, are all like voracious beasts or wild animals; without understanding or knowledge, all uncivilized; not one civilized and wise man exists among them. This they contrast to civilized countries: all the inhabitants living in the highest state of culture and ethics, in cooperation and solidarity, and with few exceptions, with acute understanding and sound reasoning."
While the remaining are the words of Abdu'l-Baha and he affirms what the wise say. The tone of the sentence clearly changes:
"Therefore, it is made clear and established that the superiority and inferiority of minds and comprehensions arises from education and teaching, or the lack of them. A bent branch is straightened by training and the wild fruit of the jungle is made the fruit of the orchard. An ignorant man becomes knowledgeable through teaching, and through the bounty of a wise educator, the uncultivated region becomes a civilized kingdom. The sick may be healed by the physician's art, and the poor man, by learning the arts of commerce, can achieve independence. The follower, by attaining the virtues of the leader, becomes great, and an abject man, through the education of a teacher, rises from the depths of abasement to the heights of glory."
To compare the words of the wise with that of the Prophets he says:
"This is their argument."
Apparently, this little sentence confused you and the original translators to attribute all of the aforementioned quotes to the wise which is not the case. Abdu'l-Baha does not reject the belief of the wise and as it is evident he affirms them, then says the Prophets add something else to it, which you translated like this:
"The Prophets concur with the idea that education has the greatest effect on a person. They affirm, however, that differences in intelligence and perceptiveness are innate. This is obvious, and cannot be denied"
You have clearly made a mistake in translating this section and have used it as proof of the Prophets contrasting the words of the wise. This is the correct translation, pay attention to the CAPITALS:
"The Prophets TOO (niz) concur with THIS (een) idea that education has the greatest effect on a person. They affirm, however, that differences in intelligence and perceptiveness are ALSO innate. This is obvious, and cannot be denied"
Those three small words make the difference in all the translation. Abdu'l-Baha says the Prophets affirm what the wise say but also add the matter of difference in intelligence.
Abdu'l-Baha in no way refutes the words of the wise about the Africans but to the contrary affirms them, this can be seen in many of his other speeches where he frequently calls the Africans animals.
If it is spiritual teaching and guidance that changes a man from an animal to a human, then most of the civilized world then and now can easily be called animals by using Abdu'l-Baha's reasoning, because they lack spiritual teaching and guidance. But they were never labelled by Abdu'l-Baha as animals. It is always the indigenous tribes that are bestowed with these titles.
He never calls the American settlers for massacring Indians Animals and he never calls the colonialist European countries and monarchs that oppressed many nations as animals. There is a major problem here. That is why Abdu'l-Baha is called racist. I bet he wouldn't have said those words in the face of the native Africans and Americans, would he:
Hello you African savages. Since you haven't been educated, we believe you are beasts and animals. Have a good day!
August 19, 2014 at 17:30
I believe you missed a very important point in my comment. What I meant by racist was not color. I meant a discrimination when referring to race. There are multiple groups who can be called animals according to Abdu'l-Baha's reasoning, but he always single's out the Africans (and sometimes American Indians) for direct reference to being Animals.
Are there Instances where he calls the war mongering or colonialists of the allegedly civilized world animals? Like, for instance, stating: "those who shed blood and plunder the wealth of other nations are Animals, like some of the people of France and England. They are pigs that God has created with human faces. The white settlers have no superiority over Animals. They massacred the Indians to take there land. They are donkeys with human faces."? No.
Are there instances where he himself calls uneducated black Africans animals? Yes: "The wild tribes have no superiority over animals. For example, what is the difference between African blacks and American blacks? The [black Africans] are cows that God has created with human faces. The [black Americans] are civilized, intelligent, and have culture." (Khatabat, vol. 3, p.48)
Is there an instant anywhere, where Abdu'l-Baha says the wise are wrong for calling the uneducated Africans Animals and they should use a better parable or example? No.
And to be Frank, how would the world react if for instance, the queen of England or Bill Clinton, used those same words to describe uneducated black Africans? Wouldn't there be outrage? New York Times: "Queen says wild uneducated Africans are Cows with human faces."
See what I'm getting at.
September 14, 2014 at 08:51
The most disturbing aspect of these quotes is the evident contempt for indigenous cultures. It's a lie that pre-industrial people are like animals. It is not romanticizing these cultures to say that they are quite complex, and quite human: they have morality, they have social rules, and, yes, they have wisdom traditions. Some of them have used shamanic practices, including the use of entheogenic plant technologies, that put them in direct contact with higher spiritual realms that guide them into harmonious living. They have lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, whereas "civilized man" is so alienated and estranged from nature that he is on the eve of destruction. No question that these peoples occasionally exhibit the darker side of humanity including murder and warfare, but that's just proof that they are human like their "civilized" brothers and sisters.
September 14, 2014 at 18:24
Mr McGlinn,
I've been seeing a different version of this: "One is a beast God created in human form" on anti-Baha'i websites. They claim the correct translation is "One is a cow God created in human form". I got one of my colleagues to check the translations and it seems that the anti-Baha'i version is correct. Is there a special reason that you have used the word 'beast' instead of 'cow'?
'Some' of the justifications you have provided are plausible if Abdu'l-Baha had indeed used the word 'beast' but since he uses the term 'cow' your justification does not hold much water.
September 14, 2014 at 20:05
Mr McGlinn,
I checked your response with my colleague. Apparently the word Abdu'l-Baha uses is not the Persian word 'gav' but the Arabic word 'al-baqar' which used to refer to the 'cow' species regardless of sex, as in English where the word 'cow' can be used to refer to "2: a domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow)." According to Merriam Webster Dictionary the word 'cow' seems to be a perfect and very familiar translation for 'al-Baqar' and using the word 'beast' is inaccurate and gives a wrong impression.
September 17, 2014 at 04:32
Mr McGlinn,
My colleague had doubts about the 3 Arabic sentences that you stated are idioms. Google turned up only Abdu'l-Baha's words for the first sentence and only one result for the second and third statements, both in fairly insulting contexts. Furthermore, we asked a number of Arabs and none have given us a positive response about these statements being Arabic idioms. If you believe these are idioms, we would appreciate a reliable source which states this.
Going back to the three Arabic statements, the translation of statements 2 and 3 is: "Glorified is he who created the cow with the form/attributes of the human." The term 'cow' and the literal meaning aside, this seems to be an insulting statement that is intended to ridicule someone and show 'astonishment' and 'surprise' regarding their stupidity. I would not use any of these three sentences under any circumstances to describe another person or group of people.
Another problem arises in the context that Abdu'l-Baha uses that statement. The element of 'astonishment' and 'surprise' is conferred from the word glorified 'subhana' in statements 2 and 3. This word is lacking in the statement uttered by Abdu'l-Baha which no longer has the element of 'astonishment' but retains the other meanings. Yet, another problem is the context in which Abdul-Baha uses the first statement. In the standalone form that you have presented the first sentence, one can translate it to: "God has created the cow in human form" which is fairly meaningless, but when used in the context of Abdu'l-Baha's words, the statement translates to: "One is a cow God created in human form" which does not fit the meaning that you have implied is intended: "how could God create such people!"
As I already stated, I do not find it convincing to translate the word 'cow' to 'beast' on the grounds that you have stated because 'cow' is commonly used in the English language to refer to "2: a domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow)."
September 26, 2014 at 16:22
Mr McGlenn,
None of the people we have asked, neither Iranian nor Arab, have heard about what you are claiming is an idiom. None of our sources have encountered these words in literature. There are many Farsi and Arabic websites that have placed thousands of pages of modern and classic literature for all to see, but what you claim is an idiom cannot be found in them. Furthermore, using rhyming Arabic words or short Arabic sentences in the middle of Farsi statements occurs frequently in the words of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha and are in most cases neither idioms nor parts of poetry. It is up to you to provide a credible source that the words of Abdu'l-Baha are in fact idioms for your speculations cannot be verified.
Indeed, I am not persuaded by Abdu'l-Baha's arguments that wild tribes are as animals, or worse, because the examples he uses are irrelevant and a careful analysis of the tribes Abdu'l-Baha calls wild shows that they too have their ethics, morals, and rich cultures.
Religious text is intended to be understood for all people in the tongue they understand. Stating that only a group of learned people proficient in literature can interpret religious texts is an overstatement that anyone can use to dismiss the understandings of other people about religious texts. Specially, when attributing meanings to religious statements that cannot be verified.
October 7, 2014 at 14:12
Sen, you wrote: "In these arguments Abdu'l-Baha is adopting a current discourse in which Central Africa was the supposed home of 'natural man,' and uses it, but he is not adopting racial stereotypes about the negro race."
Is there not a much simpler third alternative explanation : Abdu'l-Baha is simply making a factual observation about the lack of civilization in African society. Observing this deficiency need not mean embracing stereotypes about the negro race.
It also need not mean elevating "civilization" above it's due importance in the context other Holy writings. (e.g. "If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation…")
October 7, 2014 at 23:22
Sen, you wrote: "In these arguments Abdu'l-Baha is adopting a current discourse in which Central Africa was the supposed home of 'natural man,' and uses it, but he is not adopting racial stereotypes about the negro race."
Is there not a third alternative explanation? : Abdu'l-Baha is simply making a fact-based observation about the lack of civilization in African society. Observing this deficiency does not equate to embracing stereotypes about the negro race.
It also need not mean elevating "civilization" above it's due importance in the context other Holy writings. (e.g. "If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation…")
October 9, 2014 at 03:33
I agree that this was not the focus, merely a fact-based observation in support of the ideas you mentioned regarding the myth of the noble savage, etc.
I think Abdu'l-Baha had a balanced view of "civilization." His writings reveal a high esteem for the arts and sciences of European civilization, but also caution against the excesses. The facilities of civilization were used to great benefit in the "west" to develop, among other things: communication technology, refinements to the rule of law, modern medicine and surgery, trans-continental transportation. Indeed the tens of thousands of migrants each year who risk their lives to leave Africa seeking a better life in Europe (and the lack of migrants moving the opposite direction) attest, in part, to these benefits.
As for developing means of killing one another, the European society of Abdu'l-Baha's time certainly seems to have been in the lead. But currently I'm not so sure : the wars in Congo and Sudan (all since the 1980's) are estimated to have claimed 6-8 million lives.
January 17, 2015 at 11:11
@Mike4ty4 : My understanding of Baha'i teaching is that we are all members of one human family. We are all, collectively, heirs to the blessings and the curses of civilization. It is our task to sort out the good from the bad and build a new world. This task will involve avoiding the "excess of civilization" that we are warned about in the Writings.
But Baha'i teaching does not (as far as I can see) radically re-define "civilization" to make it mean its opposite. Cultures that struggled to maintain basic sanitation, clean water, steady food supply, honest governance, literacy, scientific education and exploration, etc. , were not as advanced in "civilization" as other cultures that excelled in these areas. That doesn't mean that the people who were born into those cultures had more or less "value."
"Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess…The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom."
February 20, 2015 at 19:32
Why does Abdu'l-Baha use such inappropriate words to describe different situations. There is also another instance where he compares Baha'is with non-Baha'is and states: "A Baha'i nigger is better than a non-Baha'i nymph"
February 21, 2015 at 00:16
The words people use when they communicate to you, are intended to influence you. The trick is, to see when you are being manipulated, by thinking about what's behind the words.
What this quote tells us, is that someone wants you to dislike and distrust Abdu'l-Baha. Why would that be? Is it because of their own agenda in relation to Abdu'l-Baha, or their agenda in relation to you? Where are they taking you with this allegation?
I read that quote on a blog. The author was claiming similar things about a Baha'i translator distorting Abdu'l-Baha's statements to whitewash them. There was even a reference to Abdu'l-Baha comparing Jews to monkeys or something like that.
February 24, 2015 at 05:57
That nonsense is all from the avazedohol Shia anti-Baha'i propaganda site hosted in Tehran.
February 24, 2015 at 20:01
I had a look at the avazedohol website. The mentioned quotes do exist in the scanned images provided there but I don't automatically trust anti-Baha'i material. Sen, do you know where I can get hold of the original Farsi manuscript to double check the quotes? A pdf file was uploaded to Ahang Rabbani's website but that is no longer accessible:
February 25, 2015 at 22:09
Oops, sorry about that. I was looking for a copy of the Farsi manuscript of Khalil Shahidi's memoirs for double checking. According to Dr Rabbani, he had uploaded it to his website but it is no longer accessible:
[[The author's granddaughter, Alham Mirzai (a daughter of the
author's daughter Rúhíyyih), graciously shared the two pictures of
her grandparents which appear in the opening pages. She also
shared an unmarked copy of the original manuscript published as a
pdf file at: http://ahang.rabbani.googlepages.com/shahidi.%5D%5D
What you mentioned about the avazedohol website is interesting, although I must admit some of the subjects they have brought up are controversial (aren't all polemical works 🙂 ). I didn't encounter any quotes that had been taken out of context in the links that I read. Can you point me to instances where such tactic has been practiced?
February 27, 2015 at 00:00
Thanks for the response Sen. I hate it when I can't find a book I'm looking for. If only Ahang was still alive and his blog running… It amazes me how we have such a hard time finding many Baha'i books while someone indulged in writing Baha'i polemics manages to lay hands on them.
I've been looking into the quote that you believe has been taken out of context. I've read the Persian text a number of times and it is fairly ambiguous. I don't know what to make out of it. The Farsi wording is somewhat confusing. Reading back through the comments, it seems at least one of the commenters differed with you on its interpretation. I'm too tired to make a judgement on this.
Thanks again.
March 30, 2015 at 10:25
Sen, you have stated that the avazedohol website has attributed quotes to Abdu'l-Baha that he was refuting and as an example you have mentioned the African quote: "The inhabitants of a land like Africa are all like wild savages and land-dwelling animals that lack common-sense and knowledge." In the book on the website it is stated before the aforementioned statement that: "He claimed that wise people believe that…" A number of arguments are then mentioned as to why Abdu'l-Baha holds these beliefs too:
In fact, what you claim was being refuted by Abdu'l-Baha is clearly affirmed in his other writings such as these direct quotes that convey similar meanings:
""The wild tribes have no superiority over animals. For example, what is the difference between African blacks and American blacks? The [black Africans] are cows that God has created with human faces. The [black Americans] are civilized, intelligent, and have culture," `Abdu'l-Baha, Khaṭabat (Tehran), vol. 3, p. 48."
"If a child is born and we do not nurture him and we abandon him in his natural state what will happen? Without a doubt, he will remain ignorant and without cognition and he will be an animal. Look at (the inhabitants of) central Africa who are like animals and even inferior. Thus we can see how divine nurturing influences the world of humanity. The world of nature is the world of the animal." (Abdu'l-Baha, khatabat, vol. 2, p. 236-7)
I understand that he was speaking about the importance of nurturing and education, and this point has also been emphasized throughout the avazedohol book. But, nothing has been taken out of context and there was no intention of attributing something to Abdu'l-Baha that he was refuting (which he clearly wasn't).
April 9, 2015 at 13:34
I've read all the comments not just number 17. Both your statements about "the words of the wise" and the 'cow' quote being an 'idiom' have been disputed by a number of readers using plausible arguments. It seems that you have yet to prove that the cow quote is indeed an idiom (in light of your dialogue with Sunshine).
Although you have labelled the statement in the 'Twelve Principles' book as "dishonest", the section which mentions these quotes in the 'Twelve Principles' book, in no wise speaks about "RACISM" or Abdu'l-Baha being "RACIST". It emphasizes the inappropriate words used by Abdu'l-Baha to describe uneducated Africans and how he compares them with animals. The statement attributed to Abdu'l-Baha regarding Africans on the avazedohol website seems to be a snippet from the text of the book where the explanations have been left out. The particular statement you quoted indeed appears to be out of context on the website but not in the book. I'm leaving a comment on their comments section to see how they will respond.
April 4, 2017 at 06:23
Excellent analysis of the topic.
Well stated, reasonable, and informative


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Glen Belcher from Cornerstone Tupelo in Tupelo, MS brings us this PVC pipe truss.
Glen used four 1″×8′ PVC pipes secured to 1″ PVC end caps on a wooden baseboard for the uprights. For the upper and lower supports, he used 1/2″ PVC pipe connected to 1″×1/2″ reducer fittings (8) that were cut in halves and fitted together to make 90° angles. For the cross supports, he used 1/2″ PVC attached to the uprights with pan head screws. (Note: PVC is very flexible making it hard to keep the uprights straight.)

subset: commoncrawl


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(split 2233)
The following is a list of unnamed Klingons from the alternate reality.
Patrol officers on Qo'noS Edit
Patrol leader Edit
In 2259 of the alternate reality, this Klingon officer negotiated with Nyota Uhura during a Starfleet incursion of Qo'noS. Uhura explained they were looking for the fugitive John Harrison, but the Klingon simply responded by grabbing her by the throat and pulling out a knife, prompting James T. Kirk to go on the offensive. The Klingon was killed when Harrison showed himself, armed with a Boolean gun. (Star Trek Into Darkness)
Patrol officers Edit
These Klingon officers were patrol guards who stopped the K'normian trading ship with Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Hendorff, and a security officer in an area of the Ketha Province. In the following firefight with John Harrison, many of them were killed. (Star Trek Into Darkness)


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This content has been marked as final. Show 1 reply
1. Re: Use date specific calculated results within another dateMark Fraser Oct 14, 2015 12:24 AM (in response to James Lockwood)
Hi James
Welcome to the forums! We are currently trying to get all unanswered posts at least a reply...so here goes...
You can leverage a date and use that in a calculation - how to do it depends on your data.
Below in Superstore I am returning only Sales for September
I wonder if you can use this methodology to build out what you need...
Identify September's sales, cost and the various elements to get margin - work out a September margin and then use this separate field for your future month calculations
To make it dynamic - you can use TODAY() function in place of a fixed month..
If you could provide a sample with expected results I can try and take it a bit further...


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Hello everyone !!
After a difficult week, because of the lack of water in my city and the overflowing of water in the rivers close to the city of Lima, I've found time to make this journal. I was inspired by my BEAUTIFUL daughter, who I refer to in Spanish as "Caterpillar". When you say it in Spanish (Oruga), it sounds cute. Since I began calling her that, everybody would do the same until I thought that they were forgetting that her real name was "Illary", (which means "sunrise" in Quechua) followed by her middle name "Itzayana", (which means "gift from God" in the Mayan language). Time has flown by quickly and she's actually going to be 3 on the 29th of March and I can't believe it. She's starting to leave her cacoon to become a beautiful butterfly and I only ask God to let me live long enough to see her grow and grow up. For this journal I used lots of BUTTERFLIES made of acetate to decorate it. I hope you like it.
It's the first time that I'm using these products and I've liked using them a lot because they're very practical and the colors they give off are really intense.
To make some of the flowers I used 2 sprays together and I think they make a good combination.
With this journal I participated in the following challenges.


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So maybe I'm a few days late on the whole Top Gear and BBC 's release of Jeremy Clarkson, but the meme says it all…Who can replace Clarkson? Top Gear without Clarkson is like a Corvette with a twin turbo inline four, it's just plain wrong. While I agree Clarkson should have gotten the suspension for his actions, I don't believe his contract should have not been renewed.
I've been a fan of the show since the formation of the trio of Clarkson, May and Hammond. I've watched over and over and over again the challenges, reviews and the cold silence of the stig. Its unfathomable to watch this show without the man. While Hammond and May are great presenters, Clarkson added the non-chalant attitude to many aspects of the show. Thinking back to the most expensive review the show had featuring the BMW X6, to the South America challenge, to the overall jokes, comments, and general humour, Clarkson is Top Gear.
Should he not be resigned, Russell Brand could work…and that would be worse, than a vette with a twin turbo four.


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A timpani is a type of percussion instrument, made from a hemispherical bowl (called a kettle) with a skin stretched over it. Timpani are usually played with a pair of mallets (timpani sticks). The pitch can be altered by turning the screws or handles, or with the pedals, making timpani different to other drums in terms of the clear sound they are capable of.Timpani are said to derive from military kettledrums, and were introduced to orchestras in the mid-17th century. Until the 19th century, they mostly played a supporting role in orchestras and bands, but from the 20th century onwards, timpani have come to feature prominently in concertos, chamber music, or for solo performances-CanonTimpani Papercraft
Timpani PapercraftPosted by Michael James | Thursday, January 12, 2012 | musical instruments, papercraft | 0 comments »
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Trick Factory
How does a magician get a rabbit into his top hat? What is a magic cup and how is it made? «Enchant and astound»- that is the tagline of this children's show! The makers of Explorer Express whisk young viewers away to the astonishing world of artifice and magic. Children are given an insight into the world of artists and illusionists through exciting magic tricks and unusual handicraft, which they are encouraged to admire and imitate. Some of the best kept magician's secrets are also revealed: Cuddly toys miraculously disappear and heads are made to turn around!
Totally Fit!
Healthy food? - Not tasty! School stuff? - Boring! Family-fun? - Annoying! Sports? - How exhausting! Really? No way! - Together with the eccentric Hopper family, the young viewers discover everything to do with fitness and nutrition, learn about unusual types of sports and find out how to train their brains. «Totally Fit!» is the first wellness- program for kids that not only boosts their self-confidence, but also shows them how to get the best out of their lives - all in a funny and entertaining manner.
Quiz Safari
Beastly good entertainment is a safe bet in this funny and exciting quiz show with its many tricky questions from the animal kingdom, where both adults and children can put "animal" knowledge and quickness to the test. We will also visit these fascinating animals in the zoo, such as the banded mongoose, which can crack eggs with a very special trick.
Quiz Castle
The Quiz Castle, a combination of 3D animation and film elements, is a funny show in which the audience gets to guess along. It specifically caters for the needs of pre-school children. The two ghosts, Rattlehead and Pizza Poltergeist, invite viewers into their castle to take part in fun and entertaining games and quizzes. They have to answer tricky questions in each and every hall and in each and every chamber within the hallowed walls. And they get to learn amazing tricks and recognize optical illusions. «Quiz Castle» was developed in cooperation with the British Company «Absolutely Cuckoo».
Nini's Stories
Nini is a wild flower. Her world is colourful and full of little miracles. Nini has got a lot of friends and a lot of stories to tell. She is friends with Fred the frog, who wants to whistle. She meets Teethie the traveling toothbrush, she laughs together with the violet flowers Villi, Velli, Valli and Vulli. She finds Lucky the four leave-clover and she knows the funniest stories about Chikki and Rikki the crazy chicks. Nini's cousin Daisy is sometimes sad and her other cousin Lilli gets bored easily. But when Nini starts telling her stories everybody cheers up! Let's visit Nini's world!
1. Storiette
2. Rubirosa
3. Schilli
4. Little Grids
5. Daisy
6. Colorus
7. Villi, Velli, Valli and Vulli
8. Teethie
9. Lilli
10. Lucky
11. Chikki and Rikki
12. Small Fire in the Snow
13. Sona, the Water Lily
14. Junius and Julius
Mr. Punch
"Is everybody out there? Yesssss!" The famous tagline used to start the show by Mr. Punch or "Kasperl", as he is called in German-speaking countries, is well known by every child. The household name of the Austrian childrens television has entertained his fans for over five decades. To ensure the traditional children's hero will be able to amuse children for another 50 years, the ORF has revamped the show and redesigned its star. The core of the show is an imaginative adventure story, presented in a traditional puppet-show style, with Kasperl and his friends. Interactivity is an integral part of the show as Kasperl rhymes and sings with the kids. Kasperl's adventures are about friendship, helping others and solving problems by using one's wits. "Kasperl" represents entertainment for young and old - traditional puppet-show at its finest!
Get the Knack!
The focus of every story in "Get the Knack!" is the question "how does it actually work?" The aim is to bring about the "Eureka effect" for every viewer as the penny finally drops at the end of each item. Every episode is a grab bag of "Eureka" surprises - nevertheless, there are recurrent themes to which the viewer can look forward. Subjects range from the high-tech to supposedly boring everyday objects. In exciting experiments viewers discover, for example, how to make clouds in a plastic bottle or how to make a piece of soap swim. Foolproof instructions and simple ingredients mean that the experiments can immediately be imitated at home.
"Get the Knack!" is an entertaining science show with modern visual language and a high cutting rate.
Explorer Express
Why does the koala bear have a speckled posterior? Can plants sweat or air be liquid? And how can you transfer news from one continent to another without any electricity? These and many more questions are answered in this extraordinary and successful series for young researchers from 8 to 12 years. Traveling through time, space, air and water, Thomas Brezina and Kati Bellowitsch take you on the special Explorer Express en route to «discover, experience, investigate and do it yourself ». During these exciting trips the two presenters reveal facts worth knowing about nature, animals, technology, physics, chemistry and history. They also conduct experiments for viewers to do themselves at home. Each episode of the series features interesting stories, stunning experiments and vivid explanations.
Cracker Snap
Funny, crazy and absolutely "Cracker Snap": the new knowledge format with a certain "a-ha" effect! Why did pirates wear eye patches? Can horses sleep standing up? And how do you bake a chequered cake? Every episode inspires with unusual and amusing ideas and sensational tricks from this multicoloured curiosity shop! Amazing discoveries, exciting expeditions and stunning phenomena bring history to life for young and old alike and inviteviewers to take part in fun experiments, which can be repeated at home with playful ease. It'll astound and enthral you as well as make you smile: "Cracker Snap" proves that science is fun in a playful and entertaining way
Awesome Animals
Tomcat Kurt accompanies us on an exciting journey through the fascinating world of animals. Children get to know native and exotic wild animals in an entertaining way, and also learn all about popular and unusual pets: their abilities, their characteristics, their needs and their habitat. The encounter between humans and animals plays an essential role. As zookeeper assistants, children experience work with animals at first hand and also get an insight into the work at a veterinary practice. They get to know the specific characteristics of the animals, as well as what is important for respectful and harmonious interaction with them. One important element of the show is the active involvement with viewers at home. Children are encouraged to ask questions or to participate by sending in video clips that show them in action with their own pets or favorite animals. An unforgettable TV experience with animals for youngsters of all ages!
AHA! Museum of Adventures
Thomas Brezina and the punk mummy Ramfetz set out in search of fascinating curiosities in this new educational format. Each episode presents five items from museums with extraordinary stories to tell. However, two of them are pure fabrications, and our young viewers must try to guess which are true and which are false. In 13 episodes of 15 minutes each, young audiences can discover fascinating objects and their exciting stories from a range of fields such as art, history, music, technology and nature. The objects are housed in nine halls that thematically set the scene: the hall of strange things, the hall of art, nature, animals, the past, technology, music, books and the kitchen laboratory. The imaginatively decorated museum rooms form the backdrop for "Museum AHA" through rear projections in the studio. Animated figures in the exhibition rooms interact with the scenes.
ABC Bear
A big tree with a tree house growing in a lorry? Frogs singing funny songs and a cow being fond of solving arithmetic problems? Can we really find things like that? Yes we can! Visiting the "ABC - Bear" and his seven friends cruising around the world in their fancy mobile, this little wonder-world becomes true! The latest program, written by the famous kids-author Thomas C. Brezina, is a valuable pedagogic contribution to basic learning, inviting the youngest audience to get the knowledge of letters and numbers easily! The captivating adventures of the "ABC-Bear" and his friends also playfully teach social aptitudes suitable for kids between 5 and 7 years: The "ABC - Bear" is always accompanied by his friends Iggi, the hedgehog, Box, the beaver, Mona Muh, the cow, Pim, the small penguin-chick and the funny Platscho-frogs. In every episode you will find a new song of the «Platscho-frogs» to sing along. With a lot of music, jokes and funny songs the "ABC - Bear" and his friends animate children of preschool age and children just starting school to learn the ABC and mathematical basics, enchanting their little audience as well as their parents.
Ein Baum, der aus einem Auto wächst und auch noch ein Baumhaus trägt? Singende Frösche und eine Kuh, die Zahlen liebt? Wo gibt es denn so was? Beim "ABC Bär" und seinen sieben Freunden, welche auf einem wundersamen Mobil durch die Welt reisen.Die neueste Sendung des Erfolgsautors Thomas C. Brezina lädt die jüngsten Zuseher dazu ein, in spannenden Abenteuern und einer einzigartigen Bühnenshow das Zusammenleben mit anderen zu lernen und in jeder Folge in bunten Spielen Buchstaben und Zahlen kennen zu lernen. Zusätzlich gibt es zu jeder Folge ein neues Lied der Platscho-Frösche zum Mitsingen. Begleitet wird der "ABC Bär" immer von seinen Freunden Iggi dem Igel, Box dem Biber, Mona Muh der Kuh, Pim dem kleine Pinguin-Küken und den lustigen Platscho-Fröschen. Der "ABC Bär" richtet sich mit viel Musik, Spaß sowie lustigen Liedern und Freude am Lernen an Vorschulkinder und SchulanfängerInnen sowie deren Eltern.
7 Wonders
Big and small miracles, spectacular as well as hidden sensations all feature in the popular science magazine for children "7 Wonders", created and hosted by Thomas Brezina. He and Nelson, his pilot, are travelling the world in their flying Wonder Express «Crazy Lola» to present seven wonders per show - be it the Dead Sea (where Thomas likes to read a newspaper whilst swimming), the language of dolphins, historical sensations that still astound us today or «do it yourself wonders» that show children how they too can create something amazing. There are things to marvel at, not only far away, but right around the corner.
"Yummy" - WOW Factor Cooking
In this cooking show, kids aged 7 and above let their imagination loose. In every episode, Chef Alexander Kumptner presents the kids with an ingredient, which they use, chop, cook and personalize as they please. This chef always lends a helping hand and is never out of tricks. He's even more inventive when it comes to leftovers. Do you like apples? He'll show you how to make tea out of apple peelings. That way, nothing goes to waste!
Schmatzo - Kochen mit WOW ist ein TV-Format für Kinder ab 7 Jahren, das jedes Wochenende im Kinderprogramm »okidoki« auf ORFeins ausgestrahlt wird. Die Koch-Show wird von Haubenkoch Alexander Kumptner moderiert, der gemeinsam mit drei Kinder-Teams köstliche Gerichte zubereitet. Thema der Sendung ist stets ein bestimmtes Nahrungsmittel, wie zum Beispiel der Apfel, Nudeln oder Spinat. Alex präsentiert den drei Teams je ein Gericht, das die Kinder dann mit Gewürzen und weiteren Zutaten verfeinern dürfen. Dabei steht ihnen Alex mit Tipps und Tricks zur Seite. Anschließend dürfen die Teams ihre eigenen Gerichte vollenden, indem sie sie auf bunten Tellern anrichten, mit Blüten garnieren oder auf Spießen neu präsentieren. So entstehen zum Beispiel rosafarbene Kartoffel-Püree-Geister, Back-Hendl-Salat am Spieß oder lustige Haferbrot-Sandwiches. Der Fantasie der Kinder sind keine Grenzen gesetzt. Bei Schmatzo wird nichts weggeschmissen, deswegen zeigt Alex wie man aus Resten tolle und einfache Gerichte zaubern kann. Aus Eiklar wird ein fluffiges Omelett gebraten und aus Apfelschale ein gesunder Tee gekocht. Jede Sendung zeigt, wie vielfältig ein Nahrungsmittel sein kann und schafft auf verspielte Art einen verantwortungsbewussten Umgang mit Essen.
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We begin 2018 by building on the strong support of PCS members in the consultative pay ballot we ran last year (9 October – 6 November). We continue the campaign by holding pay day protests outside Government buildings on Wednesday 31 January.
In the case of PCS members in MHCLG, we will be joining all PCS members based in 2 Marsham Street, for a short focused protest and photograph opportunity outside the main entrance to the building (Peel) between 12:30 p.m. and 12:45 p.m.
We will be joined by PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka at 1230.
PCS is asking its members to show their support and join us for the protest and by taking the following specific actions:
- Use the pay calculator to demonstrate the real impact of the pay cap on your cost of living
- Take a picture with your own pay day calculator card, we will also bring some along to the pay day protest, so please use the calculator and make a note of your pay calculator total and bring it along to the pay day protest and send pictures to firstname.lastname@example.com
- Sharing your photos on social media using #ScrapTheCap
- If you are working from home but would like to take part, please take a selfie with your own phone holding the card and send it to PCS by:
- email email@example.com
- Uploading them to Twitter @pcs_union
- Posting them on our Facebook page
It is time for us to say that enough is enough. The pay squeeze in MHCLG has gone on for far too long. Since 2010, research shows that civil service pay has fallen in value by nearly 10% – further and faster than both the rest of the public sector and the private sector. All MHCLG staff have been covered by the seven-year pay cap, and we all make an important contribution and we need to send the strongest possible message that all civil servants deserve a proper pay rise!
Come along to the PCS stall in the Peel atrium in Marsham St (every Tuesday until 6 March) to speak to your local reps and find out about what PCS is doing for our members.
Please invite your colleagues who are not members to find out more about the importance of joining a trade union.


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Sorry for Your Loss - Season 1, Episode 03: Jackie O. and Courtney Love
Leigh Shaw is a young pretty woman whose life turns to be so sad after the unfortunate death of her husband. But it's just the beginning of the troubles, she finds out many shocking truths about her husband and secrets that he hid, this thing may lead Leigh to dangerous troubles.
Duration: 30 min
Quality: HD
Release: 2018
IMDb: 7.4
Genre: Drama
Actors: Elizabeth Olsen, Kelly Marie Tran, Jovan Adepo, Mamoudou Athie, Janet McTeer, Zack Robidas, Don McManus, B.K. Cannon, Carmen Cusack, Aisha Alfa, Lauren Robertson, ...»
Director: James Ponsoldt, Allison Anders, Jamie Babbit, Hannah Fidell, Azazel Jacobs, Rose Troche, Jessica Yu
Country: United States
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- Episode 01: One Fun Thing
- Episode 02: Keep, Toss, Giveaway
- Episode 03: Jackie O. and Courtney Love
- Episode 04: Visitor
- Episode 05: 17 Unheard Messages
- Episode 06: I Want a Party
- Episode 07: I Hate Chess
- Episode 08: A Widow Walks into a Wedding
- Episode 09: Welcome to Palm Springs
- Episode 10: The Penguin and The Mechanic
Sorry for Your Loss S01E09Available from: 09-10-2018
Sorry for Your Loss S01E10Available from: 09-10-2018
Sorry for Your Loss S01E07Available from: 02-10-2018
Sorry for Your Loss S01E08Available from: 02-10-2018
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Annabelle: Creation
IMDb: 7
109 min
Country: United States
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Twelve years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into ...


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Peter Facinelli has been tapped as the male lead opposite Marsha Thomason in Zoobiquity,Fox's light medical procedural pilot. Also set for a lead role in the project is 24 alumna Kim Raver.
Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, Zoobiquity follows the unlikely pairing of Dr. Kara Martins (Thomason), a successful, driven cardiologist as she risks career suicide by teaming with Dr. Lucas Cort (Facinelli), a brilliant, socially-challenged veterinarian who relates better to animals than people. They try to put aside their competitive natures to cure the incurable using a unique blend of cross-species medicine that's never been tried before.
Raver will play Dr. Julia Fowler, the chief of medicine at Chicago Hospital
Source: Deadline


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We're proud to be celebrating our second anniversary and want to celebrate with you. On June 1-2, we're offering sales that will truly blow your mind. Deals like:
- 20% off in-stock bikes
- This includes mountain bikes, fitness bikes, road bikes, and kids bikes
- Savings up to $600 off
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- This includes full suspension mountain bikes
- Savings up to $1350 off
- 50% off in-stock helmets
- Up to $65 off
- 50% off anything with Knoxville Bicycle Company branding
- This includes hats, water bottles, t-shirts, race kits, and more
- Most items will now be between $10-$20
Come celebrate with us June 1-2 and walk away with the best deals you'll see all summer!


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Product Description & Delivery Information.
The Steens Richmond white 2 door wardrobe top box is designed for use with Steens Richmond 88cm wide by 57cm deep 2 door wardrobes. The 2 door top box is made from MDF with traditional round solid pine handles. The unit top and door fronts are made from 16mm MDF, sides 12mm MDF and the back panel 2.8mm plywood.
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© Copyright 2020 - The Home and Office Stores Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered Number: 8691136 - VAT Number: 170 4792 03
Registered Head Office Address: 26 Jesmond Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 4RZ. - Customer Services: 01423 544757


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Jewish World Review June 13, 2014 / 15 Sivan, 5774
Obama has painted himself into a foreign-policy corner
By Jonah Goldberg
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The Arab Spring is over. Welcome to the Jihadi Spring.
Across a huge swath of what, up until recently, had been known as
ISIS started out as an al-Qaeda franchise, but in 2011 it broke off to become an independent dealer of Islamist mayhem. If anything, it is more extreme than al-Qaeda -- though that fine distinction probably means little to the Shiites and Christians it slaughters.
Sunday in
Late last month, President Obama announced at West Point that we are definitely leaving
The good news is that the administration has a policy to deal with the Jihadi Spring. The bad news is that it looks to be the same policy it had for the Arab Spring: nothing.
Nothing, that is, beyond casting lots of words and Twitter hashtags into the air like so many magic beans that will sprout into peace and security wherever they find purchase.
That's the hitch. This administration's words don't have much traction around the world, or at least where it matters. (He's still popular in
Often, when critics call attention to these and numerous other foreign-policy failures, the president and his defenders will argue that the critics want war. Indeed, in his West Point speech, Obama took a firm and forthright stand against an argument pretty much nobody is making: Military action "cannot be the only -- or even primary -- component of our leadership in every instance."
Even the most rabid hawks (though technically, I don't think birds can get rabies) would never dream of arguing that the military should be the only or primary component of leadership in "every instance."
But this is a clever, albeit grotesquely cynical, ploy. If you give the American people a choice between, on the one hand, doing nothing beyond tweeting slogans and lecturing the "international community" and, on the other, sending American troops into harm's way in the
A better option would be a time machine. That way today's President Obama could go back and give first-term Obama the benefit of his experience. He could tell him that foreign policy should define his talking points, not the other way around. With that foresight, maybe he would have done more to help democracy in
Defenders of the president often ask critics, "Well, what do you want to do?" I'll be honest. I don't know. We have no good options left. I certainly think we should have provided assistance to the (corrupt and pathetic) Iraqi government when they asked for air support last month. But I don't want boots on the ground.
What I really want is that time machine.
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NuRAN Announces the Commercial Availability of the Telecom Infra Project's OpenCellular OC-2G Base Station
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC and SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA–(Marketwired – Nov. 8, 2017) - NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN Wireless" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR)(CSE:NUR.CN)(CNSX:NUR)(OTC PINK:NRRWF), a leading supplier of mobile and broadband wireless solutions is pleased to announce the commercial availability of the OpenCellular OC-2G base station at the 2017 TIP Summit. OC-2G is being showcased at the Facebook booth and is also accessible to members of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) community members within the TIP Community Lab program.
"The commercial availability of OpenCellular OC-2G is an exciting achievement for members of TIP's OpenCellular project group who have contributed to this ambitious effort," said Dr. Kashif Ali, Co-Chair of TIP's OpenCellular project group. "OpenCellular OC-2G gives carriers a reliable and inexpensive solution for connecting rural populations."
Founded in February 2016, TIP is an engineering-focused initiative driven by operators, suppliers, developers, integrators, and startups to disaggregate the traditional network deployment approach. The community's collective aim is to collaborate on new technologies, examine new business approaches and spur new investments into the telecom space. The founding members – Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), Deutsche Telekom (ETR: DTE), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), Nokia (HEL: NOKIA) and SK Telecom (KRX: 017670) – have been joined by numerous carriers, equipment vendors and systems integrators since TIP's founding.
NuRAN announced the official introduction of OC-2G, the latest of three new products to emerge from the TIP initiative, at the OpenCellular Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya this summer. Production units of OC-2G are expected to ship in the first quarter of 2018. Pre-production units have been shipped to selected early adopters, and are undergoing trials. OC-2G will be available, along with OC-SDR and OC-LTE.
"We are very pleased to be involved in this important effort to bring connectivity to everyone everywhere. We are also excited to be involved with a number of TIP members from across the world to ensure the success and the quick adoption of the products emerging from such an important initiative. This is validation of our unique expertise and capacity to deliver optimized solutions for mobile operators to deploy, at the lowest cost possible, in new areas that were not previously connected. This is an important milestone for rural and remote communities." states Martin Bedard, CEO and President of NuRAN Wireless Inc.
The OC-2G GSM base station was designed and contributed by NuRAN to TIP's project group. Thanks to its extremely low total cost of ownership, it can provide connectivity to populations of less than 1,000 profitably. OC-2G may be deployed and operated anywhere with minimal infrastructure, as it effectively provides kilometres of coverage to mobile users, with power consumption similar to that of a residential Wi-Fi router.
OC-2G is available as part of the NuRAN Carrier Solutions (NCS) offering, in which it is combined with the Company's Base Station Controller (BSC) to form a complete radio access network that seamlessly integrates to an operator's core network. It is also available as part of NuRAN Open Access (NOA), which consists of open-source software as well as open interfaces at various layers of the mobile network protocol, and features higher-level functionalities such as network-in-a-box, and the Community Cellular Manager.
The hardware design of the system will be made available to the TIP OpenCellular project group, which is promoting greater access to mobile connectivity in remote areas through the development of open source and low-cost wireless access platforms.
The OC-2G offering is complementary to NuRAN's LiteCell 1.5, which targets communities of 1500-20,000 inhabitants. These new product offerings will provide Nuran with new revenue streams and further expand NuRAN's ever increasing footprint throughout the world.
Previously, NuRAN announced being selected as OEM and distributor of OC-SDR, the first product to emerge from TIP, and OC-LTE, a 4G eNodeB. Both are undergoing trials with select partners.
About The Telecom Infra Project
For more information about TIP and its project groups visit https://telecominfraproject.com/
About NuRAN Wireless
NuRAN Wireless, with its wholly owned subsidiary Nutaq Innovation, is a leading supplier of mobile and broadband wireless solutions. Its innovative GSM, LTE, and White Space radio access network (RAN) and backhaul products dramatically drop the total cost of ownership, thereby creating new opportunities for mobile network operators and internet service providers.
The company provides a variety of specialist systems for indoor coverage, rural and urban connectivity in emerging markets, connectivity to offshore platforms and ships, and for emergency and crisis communications.
No regulatory authority has approved or reviewed the contents of the information contained in this news release. The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of NuRAN Wireless to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include: the Company's quest to connect the next billion; that this strategic acquisition allows NuRAN to offer a complete mobile and broadband solution and the ability to secure the NuRAN solution as the leader in rural and remote mobile connectivity, that the acquisition reinforces NuRAN's strategic positioning towards new and small operators by offering an end-to-end mobile small-cell network solution with the lowest Total-Cost-of-Ownership (TCO) on the market and that the acquisition will allow NuRAN the opportunity to bring cellular coverage to emerging market where the return on investment (ROI) was previously simply too low. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to: the ability of NurRAN Wireless to obtain necessary financing; general economic conditions in Canada and globally; competition for, among other things, capital and skilled personnel; our ability to hire and retain qualified employees and key management personnel; possibility that government policies or laws may change; possible disruptive effects of organizational or personnel changes; technological change, new products and standards; risks related to acquisitions and international expansion; reliance on large customers; reliance on a limited number of suppliers; risks related to the Company's competition; failure to integrate the technology and assets acquired from the Vendors and the Company's failure to adequately protect its intellectual property; interruption or failure of information technology systems and other risk factors described in the Company's reports filed on SEDAR), including its financial statements for the year ended October 31, 2015, and those referred to under the heading "Risk Factors". These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing NuRAN Wireless' views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Martin Bedard
President and CEO
(418) 914-7484 or Toll Free: 1-855-914-7484
Direct Financial Strategies and Communication
Frank Candido


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Drawn from my archives
The tagline on this blog is "Empowering Wives to Joyfully Serve." To some the word "serve" is music to the ears, but to others it's detestable that I'd even suggest such a notion. To them, the idea of women serving in the home is archaic, old-fashioned, and out-dated. I say it's refreshing!
The notion of 50/50, where couples give only as much as they are given is not only self-centered–it lacks strength, because what see here are two halves becoming one whole. In order to build a relationship that has life-lasting results, we need the strength of two complete people coming together in unity where each one esteems the other higher than themselves, and where each one is willing to give more than they take.
When the going gets rough—and it will at times—love requires 100 percent of our heart. I saw that first hand last year when after 60 years of marriage my parents discovered that my dad had numerous brain tumors. My mom who is suffering with COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) took care of him day and night. As I witness her labour of love I saw the value in serving others.
Putting my own thoughts aside, let's take a look a Philippians 2, where we are instructed on how to achieve love and unity. Here we see three steps that empower us to joyfully serve:
- Give up any selfish ambition or conceit, including your need to be right.
- Humbly value others higher than yourself.
- Don't focus on your own interests, but be sensitive to others.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ~ Philippians 2:3-4, NIV
Humbly serving your family might be archaic to you, but for me it's based on timeless wisdom that offers life-lasting results.
You are loved by an almighty God,
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