Beginning this evening, Bahá’ís around the world will celebrate the four days of ‘Ha’ or ‘Days of Joy’ when they are encouraged to devote their time to acts of hospitality, charity, and gift-giving. Also known as ‘days between time,’ this period of the year is an opportunity for Bahá’ís to pause, reflect, and recommit to loving, cherishing, and caring for all of humanity; striving to know and love God; and promising to love life itself.
“The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds and through commendable and seemly conduct.” – Bahá’u’lláh
In the past year, we have witnessed our broken immigration system make it increasingly difficult for women, children, and families seeking asylum in the United States to receive the protections to which they are entitled under U.S. law.
The harmful, ever-changing policies have led to the violation of human rights at our borders – denying many refugees fleeing domestic violence access to safety; creating horrifying conditions in detention facilities; displacing families for days, months, years – the list continues.
As members of the global human family, it is our responsibility to treat each other with compassion and respect, and whenever possible, to lend a hand and help amplify the voices of those whose stories have been pushed aside.
At Tahirih, building bridges to safety and justice is our call of duty.
We support immigrant survivors of violence through free legal and social services, from direct representation to emergency shelter, food, and healthcare.
We engage in nonpartisan public policy advocacy by amplifying the voices of immigrant survivors in communities, courts, and Congress.
We enable communities to meet the needs of survivors through outreach programs that provide thousands of frontline professionals and community members with an understanding of unique obstacles that immigrant survivors face.
This Ayyám-i-Há, we ask you to join us and stand with individuals and families who seek the most basic of human rights – to live in safety and with dignity. Here’s how you can help:
- Learn more about the issues we tackle and the impact we have nationwide;
- “Like” us on Facebook, “follow” us on Instagram and Twitter, and invite your friends to do the same;
- Share our Ayyám-i-Há message to let others know about the meaning of this holiday and how they too can support immigrant survivors of gender-based violence; and
- Donate to Tahirih, a Bahá’í-inspired organization, working to carry out the Bahá’í principles of justice and advocate for full equality of all individuals across the globe.
Thank you for taking time during these special days to recommit to loving, cherishing, and caring for all of humanity.
“If we are true Bahá’ís speech is not needed. Our actions will help the world … Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers … Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute! This is the work of a true Bahá’í, and this is what is expected of him [her].” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 80)
Banner artwork by Ron Lapitan
